The Devil Clam is one of the most elusive and poorly known species of giant clams, mostly because of its limited natural distribution and its preference for deeper waters. Unlike most species ofTridacnaandHippopuswhich live in relatively shallow water,Tridacna mbalavuanais restricted to deeper waters, making sightings by scuba divers even more rare.
Also known asTridacna mbalavuana,the Devil Clamhas one of the smallest natural ranges of any living species of giant clams, known only from Tonga with a few specimens occasionally being sighted in Fiji. However a new paper inMarine Biodiversityreports on the discovery on two individuals way over in New Caledonia.
魔鬼的两个新的遥远标本蛤found on the northeastern barrier reefs of New Caledonia, at a distance of 1,352km or 840 miles from Fiji. The two specimens were both sighted at a depth of about 20 meters or 65 feet and despite additional surveys around these two specimens, no further individuals ofT. mbalavuanahave been seen.
With the discovery of Devil Clams in New Caledonia this species gets a massive range extension which also overlaps with Vanuatu, and perhaps specimens will be discovered living there in the future as well. Despite this new finding, sightings of the Devil Clam in its natural habitat remain extremely rare and hopefully this clam’s preference for deeper water is the main reason for the infrequent human encounters.
