BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 13, Number 3, July 2012 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 118-123 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d130303 Taxonomy of Indonesian giant clams (Cardiidae, Tridacninae) UDHI EKO HERNAWAN♥ Biotic Conservation Area of Tual Sea, Research Center for Oceanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences. Jl. Merdeka, Katdek Tual, Southeast Maluku 97611. Tel. +92-916-23839, Fax. +62-916-23873, ♥email:
[email protected] Manuscript received: 20 December 2010. Revision accepted: 20 June 2011. ABSTRACT Hernawan E. 2012. Taxonomy of Indonesian giant clams (Cardiidae, Tridacninae). Biodiversitas 13: 118-123. A taxonomic study was conducted on the giant clam’s specimens deposited in Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (MZB), Cibinong Indonesia. Taxonomic overviews of the examined specimens are given with diagnostic characters, remarks, habitat and distribution. Discussion is focused on specific characters distinguishing each species. From seven species known to distribute in Indonesian waters, there are six species, Tridacna squamosa Lamarck, 1819; T. gigas Linnaeus, 1758; T. derasa Roding, 1798; T. crocea Lamarck, 1819; T. maxima Roding,1798; and Hippopus hippopus Linnaeus, 1758. This study suggests the need for collecting specimen of H. porcellanus Rosewater, 1982. Important characters to distinguish species among Tridacninae are interlocking teeth on byssal orifice, life habits, presence of scales and inhalant siphon tentacles. Key words: Tridacninae, taxonomy, Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense INTRODUCTION family (Tridacnidae) or revised to be subfamily Tridacninae, included in family Cardiidae. Recently, based Giant clams, the largest bivalve in the world, occur on sperm ultrastructure and molecular phylogenetic studies, naturally in association with coral reefs throughout the the clams are belonging to family Cardiidae, subfamily tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region.