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Comprehensive Description
Distribution
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Symbiosis
Parasitism
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Bibliographies | Parasitic Relationship
Some parasites are living inside the mantle cavity of Tridacna maxima (as well as for other species of Tridacnidae).
Humes (1976) identified Anthessius alatus and A. amicalis as living inside the mantle cavity of small giant clams. Those two copepods are supposed to stick to the mantle cavity with their claw and catch food coming with the current created by the clam. The onset of the symbiosis is probably just by penetration of the copepod inside the mantle cavity with the incoming current of the siphon.
On the other hand, because no other documentation of this parasitism could be found since 1976, those parasitic observations may have only been incidental. |
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