Location: Pulau Jong
This island is affectionately called the Little Bun island... Don't you think it looks like those meat bun? Yum! Anyway, it's been two years since I stepped on this island and we have been hoping that the clam last seen was still alive!
After some intrepid landing via the dinghy, we all make it through the coral rubble (they look like stone fish too). :S
Anyway, we had two special guest with us, Fidel from NTU (Earth Observatory of Singapore) who studies the sedimentary rock formation. Pulau Jong, mainland has some good rock formation! Cool! The other was Andrew from the Cicada Tree who also blogs about nature stuff...
Almost immediately after landing, Fidel found a fluted giant clam!
Not too long later, Kok Sheng managed to navigate to the previous clam and only to find soft corals growing on one side of the shell! Hooray!
Alas, the previously thought-to-be a Tridacna maxima clam turn out to be a Tridacna squamosa clam upon closer examination. The trouble between both species is that the presence of fluted projections along the shell margins. The only way to be sure of their identities, first, I had to look at the overall shell shape as well as, secondly look at the umbo area.
Tridacna maxima shells are not equilateral (meaning the posterior length does not equal anterior length) whilst Tridacna squamosa shells are equilateral. The umbo area for T. squamosa is also symmetrical, while T. maxima's is not. Phew! I spent an entire semester to figure out how to differentiate the clams properly. Perhaps I will spend some time blogging about how to identify and differentiate the species next time. :)
Ria has also blogged a little about my clam project, and Kok Sheng shares a special star find on Jong. Both Chay Hoon and James share their respective finds of little critters and coral diversity.
The team is having a streak of clam luck recently! Wonder if there will be more in the next trip. Till then!
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