蛤s是珊瑚礁社区中一些最迷人的成员，在我们的家庭水族馆中特别受到欢迎。今天，我们可以使用更多的品种Tridacna比以往任何时候ORAis piling on one more new clam to the list with their recent release of Maxima clam hybrids.
这批新鲜的不寻常的最大蛤lam，Tridcana maxima, come from ORA’s clam breeding operation in the Marshall Islands but they arenot有意杂交的结果。ORA并不是100％确定这些蛤是杂种，但是它们确实共享地幔图案和颜色和外壳形态Tridacna maxima和T. squamosa.
The most notable indicator to the unusual genetics of these potential hybrid clams is the peculiar color and pattern of the mantles of these bivalves. The ORA Hybrid maxima clams show the鳞状的大点图案, but the margin of the mantles doesn’t have the regular row of eyes on the edge of the mantle that is typical ofT. maxima.
Interestingly, some of the unusual maxima clam hybrids pictured by ORA closely resemble theblue Squamosa clamsthat we’ve seen cultured in Australia. We know that the broodstock for those clams was obtained on the great barrier reef, and we don’t believe that the Darwin farm is creating intentional hybrids, but perhaps they are line breeding a naturally occurring hybrid ofTridacna maxima和T. squamosa.
ORA’s clam farmhassucceeded in intentionally crossing squamosa and maxima clams with viable offspring resulting from the cross of maxima eggs and squamosa sperm, but not the other way around. Regardless of their pedigree, the ORA hybrid maxima clams have stupendous mantles which promise to grow into truly spectacular giant clams.
