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Blue Clam in the Red Sea

Giant clams, Tridacna, can have colorful mantle tissue, including bright blue. Eight species of Tridacna, most threatened by over-harvesting, live in shallow waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. This one was photographed in the Red Sea by WHOI biologist Jesús Pineda, when he was doing fieldwork in the area in May 2008. WHOI is working with the newly-formed King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) to develop research programs in both shallow and deep waters with several WHOI scientists. In October, R/V Oceanus will travel there for research cruises headed by physical oceanographers Amy Bower and Tom Farrar.
(Photo by Jesus Pineda, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)