What Do Clams Eat?

They are filter feeders consuming phytoplankton and zooplankton found in the water. The giant clams also consume the sugars and proteins produced by algae that live on their tissues.

• Giant clams achieve their enormous size because of feeding on the proteins and sugars produced by the algae that reside in their tissues.
• Giant clams have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae (algae) that live in their tissues.
• They obtain food from the algae while the algae benefit from having a safe home to live and thrive.
• They can grow to about 4 feet and can weigh up to 500 pounds. They inhabit warm marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Asiatic clam feeds on plankton.

• The Asiatic clam is commonly found in wide distribution in Asia, South and North America, some areas of Africa, and Europe.
• The Asiatic clam is a little bit smaller compared to other clams, and they spot a light green to light brown color.
• This clam inhabits lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers.

Razor clam’s diet includes a wide array of phytoplankton which may include dinoflagellates and diatoms.

• The razor clams are notable for their elongated bivalves.
• Their shells can reach up to 160 mm, and they can live for about 18 years.
• They can be found in intertidal beach areas as well as subtidal regions of depths of about 20 meters.

Soft shell clam is a suspension feeder, typically consuming a diet of zooplankton, phytoplankton, benthic diatoms, and dissolved organic materials.

• The soft-shell clams, also dubbed as sand gapers, are oval-shaped, thin and they grow to a length of 4 inches.
• Within their shells lies a soft body that constitutes of gills, a muscular foot, a heart, a stomach, and a kidney.
• They inhabit muddy and sandy bottoms of bays and estuaries.

Nut clam feeds on bacteria and decomposing organic material that accumulates on the seafloor.

• The nut clams are notable for their elongated shells which have pointed posterior ends.
• They typically inhabit the muddy and sandy bottoms of the marine waters.

• The critical differences between clams and oysters are that the shell of a clam is smooth with no ridges and flashy while an oyster has a sturdy and hard outer shell.
• Clams are generally found in freshwaters whereas oysters flourish in marine habitats.
• There are different sub-species of oysters and clams. True oysters do not produce pearls.

Clams obtain their food through filter feeding.

• Water containing food material (zooplankton or organic material) enters via the incurrent siphon.
• The water then passes through their gills. Here, the water meets with glue-like mucus where the food particles are trapped.
• The trapped food is then transported through the cilia to the labial palps and then to the mouths of the clams.
• The water that passed through the gills leaves the clam via the exhalant siphon.

Clams display diverse activity. For instance, giant clams often display nocturnal activity. As a result, they tend to engage in more locomotion and feeding at night.

How often clams feed depends on many factors, and one such aspect is locomotion.

• Locomotion reduces with age meaning as a clam gets older, it moves less, which implies lower activity and thus reduced food consumption.
• Younger clams are active and will thus tend to feed very often to promote growth.
• Further, as clams metamorphose, they tend to change their diet.
• The reorganization of feeding habits results in their higher mortality rates (as they metamorphose).
• It is likely that the confusion during the reorganization of feeding results in less frequent feeding.

A vast range of organisms considers clams to be an essential source of nutrition.

• These predators include otters, Atlantic moon snail, octopuses, alligators, raccoons, muskrats, fish like catfish, starfish, dolphins and sunfish, different bird species such as crows, and frogs.
• Humans also include a variety of clams to their vast palate.

Clams are important to the animal food chain. They provide a good source of nutrition to many organisms, including humans who harvest them in different parts of the globe.