EntdeckenInvertebrate

Pacific Gaper

tresus nuttallii

The Pacific Gaper is a fascinating clam that burrows into the sandy ocean floor! Kids will love learning how it filters food from the water around it.

Lebensraum: They live in sandy ocean bottoms along the Pacific coast.

Aussehen

The Pacific Gaper has a large, thick shell, often dirty white or yellowish, that gaps open because its long, leathery siphon cannot fully retract. Its siphon tip can be orange or reddish, a key difference from similar clams.

ReichAnimaliaStammMolluscaKlasseBivalviaOrdnungVeneridaFamilieMactridaeGattungTresus
Pacific Gaper
solitary trait badgefilter_feeder trait badgeaquatic trait badgemarine trait badge
Pacific Gaper

Kategorie

Invertebrate

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

0/5 · Keine bekannte Gefahr

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Baby gapers float as tiny larvae before settling down in the sand.

Its name 'gaper' comes from its shell not closing completely!

The gaper's siphon can sometimes be longer than its entire shell!

They are a favorite food for sea otters, who dig them up like buried treasure!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Fähigkeit

Deep Burrower

Pacific Gaper can burrow almost a meter deep because of its powerful foot, which helps them hide from predators.

Fähigkeit

Respiratory Tube

Pacific Gaper has a super long siphon that helps them breathe and eat even when buried deep in the sand.

Fähigkeit

Water Filter

Pacific Gaper can filter large volumes of water because of special gills, helping them gather tiny food particles.

Maße und Details

Shell Length
25 cm
Siphon Length
20 cm
Gewicht
1.5 kg
Lebenserwartung
20 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

This giant clam sips tiny plants and animals from the water through its long straw-like siphon.

Hauptnahrung

  • phytoplankton
  • zooplankton
  • detritus
  • algae

Nahrungssuche

  • Filter Feeding

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris

They are a key food source for hungry sea otters.

hunts

Lewis' Moon Snail

Neverita lewisii

Moon snails drill into their shells to reach the soft clam inside.

eats

Dungeness Crab

Cancer magister

Crabs will sometimes prey on smaller or exposed Pacific Gapers.

depends on

Eelgrass

Zostera marina

Eelgrass beds stabilize sediment, creating prime Gaper habitat.

Merkmale

Auch bekannt als

Gaper ClamPacific Clam

Sammlungen

Sicherheit

Gefahr

0/5 · Keine bekannte Gefahr

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Was ist der/die/das shell Length von Pacific Gaper?

25 cm

Was ist der/die/das siphon Length von Pacific Gaper?

20 cm

Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Pacific Gaper?

1.5 kg

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Pacific Gaper?

20 Jahre

Was frisst Pacific Gaper?

This giant clam sips tiny plants and animals from the water through its long straw-like siphon.

Wo findet man Pacific Gaper normalerweise?

They live in sandy ocean bottoms along the Pacific coast.

Wie jagt Pacific Gaper?

Filter Feeding

Snap-Karte

Zoome hinein, um Cluster aufzulösen und zu sehen, wo dieses Objekt fotografiert wurde.

Karte wird geladen…

Neueste Snaps

Neueste Snaps erscheinen hier, wenn neue Beobachtungen hinzukommen.

Wo zu sehen

Mehr Invertebrate