Thread by @DantheClamMan

Just told by an editor that giant clams are too specific to be featured in their journal. They said to try again when I study corals.
I SEE YOU ARE CHALLENGING ME TO A DUEL

I WILL BEGIN AN EXTENDED THREAD FEATURING GIANT #CLAMFACTS

GIANT CLAMS (TRIDACNINAE) ARE SOME THE MOST MASSIVE BIVALVES THAT HAVE EVER EXISTED. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE. YET WE KNOW VERY LITTLE OF HOW THEY WILL BE INFLUENCED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. PHOTO OF ~3 FT LONG SPECIMENS AT CAL ACADEMY

GIANT CLAMS ARE SOLAR POWERED. THEIR FLESH IS FULL OF SYMBIOTIC ALGAE WHICH CREATE SUGARS THEY EAT. AS IF YOU COULD GO SIT OUTSIDE AND TAN FOR LUNCH. THIS IS THE CHEAT CODE THAT ENABLES THEIR GIANT LIFESTYLE #LIFEHACK

GIANT CLAMS ARE SO SWOLE THEY NEED TO INGEST EXTERNAL NITRATE AND AMMONIA AS FERTILIZER TO ENHANCE THEIR #GAINS. THEREFORE HELPING CLEAN THE REEF

GIANT CLAMS SHIT OUT THEIR EXCESS SYMBIONTS WHICH CAN BE INGESTED AND INOCULATE OTHER NEARBY CLAMS AND CORALS WITH THE HELPFUL ALGAE. IF ONLY OUR FECES WERE SO USEFUL hakaimagazine.com/news/giant-cla…

UNTIL WE HAVE TIME MACHINES GIANT CLAMS (and a couple other subfamilies) ARE THE ONLY MODERN SYSTEM TO HELP UNDERSTAND EXTINCT BIVALVES SUCH AS THE CRETACEOUS RUDISTS WHICH ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE HAD SYMBIONTS news.agu.org/press-release/…

GIANT CLAMS ARE FRICKIN DELICIOUS AND PROVIDE NUTRITION FOR MANY PEOPLES WORLDWIDE INCLUDING SOME OF THE EARLIEST HUMANS TO PASS BY THE RED SEA. YOUR GREAT GREAT GREAT...GREAT GRANDADDY PROB ATE GIANT CLAMS #RESPECT #THXCLAMS

GIANT CLAMS ARE GENTLE GIANTS AND WILL NOT TRAP YOU UNDERWATER TO DROWN YOU THOUGH THEY COULD PINCH YOUR FINGER REAL GOOD IF YOU POKED THEM, SO DON'T POKE THEM. ALSO YOU NEED TO SNEAK UP ON THEM TO DO SO AS THEY HAVE EYES AND CAN SEE YOU COMING

GIANT CLAMS WILL SQUIRT YOU IN THE FACE WITH A JET OF WATER AS A DEFENSE MECHANISM, LITERALLY LIKE CLOYSTER FROM POKEMON. IT FEELS LIKE A PLEASANT UNDERWATER BREEZE TBH #itwasntveryeffective

IF YOU WISH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIANT CLAMS YOU CAN FOLLOW @MeilinNeo @SusiDoesScience @millsk_ @CoralClam @GrouperDoc @bokterium @ocean_keshi @omchelang @NielsJdeWinter @GuibertIsis @CoralMorph @shengsayco @mikerobes02 @deinocockus @EricJ_Armstrong

@MeilinNeo @SusiDoesScience @millsk_ @CoralClam @GrouperDoc @bokterium @ocean_keshi @omchelang @NielsJdeWinter @GuibertIsis @CoralMorph @shengsayco @mikerobes02 @deinocockus @EricJ_Armstrong THANK YOU ALL FOR READING MY CLAM CATHARSIS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HIT ME WITH ALL YOUR #HULKCLAM QUERIES, WHICH BRING A NONTHREATENING SMILE TO MY FACE