# Are Giant Clams Endangered?

> Are giant clams endangered? Status Vulnerable, main threats, and what protection means.

- **Species:** Giant Clam (*Tridacna gigas*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Filter feeder plus algae symbionts
- **Habitat:** Coral reefs of the warm Indo-Pacific
- **Lifespan:** Often 100+ years
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-clam/are-giant-clam-endangered/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-clam/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The giant clam is the largest living bivalve mollusk, growing over 1.2 m (4 ft) wide and weighing more than 200 kg (440 lb). It lives anchored to coral reefs in the warm Indo-Pacific, where it feeds partly by filtering water and partly through algae living in its colorful tissue. Giant clams grow slowly and can live more than 100 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Giant Clam profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-clam/) instead.

## The largest bivalve

The giant clam is the biggest of all living bivalve mollusks, with two heavy, ribbed shells joined by a hinge. Once it settles on a reef as a young clam, it stays fixed in place for the rest of its life. Its huge shells can weigh hundreds of kilograms and outlast the animal itself.

## Help protect the Giant Clam

The giant clam is listed as Vulnerable, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-clam/are-giant-clam-endangered/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.