Electric clam in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

The Electric Clam is also known as the Flame Scallop - although it really has no relation to the scallop family at all, besides it's shell. The electric clam has a bright red mantle and red feathery thread-like tentacles adorning the lip of the mantle. They tend to live within small rocks, rubble and pieces of coral, where they will embed themselves. Their shells are usually off-white in colour, and covered in tiny bumps, making it rough in texture.


And here is where it gets interesting - the "electricity" that it seems to generate is NOT used for stunning their prey. The clams are actually filter feeders, which means that they feed on tiny particles of food suspended in the water.

The flashing lightning streaks of blue are therefore not electricity, although that's what it looks like - but rather, bioluminiscent streaks.

So the name Electric Clam is rather deceiving .. but it's a beautiful sight to behold nonetheless!

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• electric
• clam
• lembeh
• strait
• indonesia
• diving
• dive
• sea
• water
• flame
• scallop