Giant clam

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/giant-clam

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Tridacna gigas
2. What is the lifespan?Estimated average lifespan in the wild exceeds 100 years
3. What is a giant clam and how big can it get?The giant clam is the largest living bivalve. It can grow over 1.2 meters long and weigh more than 200 kilograms.
4. How do giant clams get their food from the sun?Giant clams have tiny algae inside their shells that use sunlight to make food. The clams share the food with the algae, and the algae give the clams most of what they need.

Bivalve Mollusc: A class of marine or freshwater molluscs characterized by a shell consisting of two hinged, symmetrical valves.
Zooxanthellae: Endosymbiotic dinoflagellates that live within the tissues of various marine invertebrates, providing them with nutrients through photosynthesis.
Oligotrophic Waters: Aquatic environments characterized by low nutrient levels, often resulting in low primary productivity.
Sessile: An organism that is fixed in one place and unable to move freely.