The ORA® Maxima Clam, Gold is also known as the Small Giant Clam and is one of the most widely recognized species of the giant clams. The beauty of its mantle with its rich variety of patterns and vivid colorations makes for a spectacular display in reef aquariums when illuminated properly. Maxima Clams are known to live together in great congregations, and they can attain a maximum size of 12″ in the wild.

Maxima Clams can be identified by having a more elongated shell that lacks symmetry, with narrowly spaced scutes or scallops on the upper portions of each side of their hinged shells. Like some other members of its genus, Tridacna attach to hard substrate or rockwork with thread like appendages called byssal filaments, and can eventually burrow or bore into porous substrate over time.

The smaller ORA Maxima clams are much more sensitive to very intense lighting as their membrane is much thinner than larger specimens. For this reason, care should be taken to properly photo-adapt them to the existing reef aquarium lighting in a similar manner to newly introduced stony and soft corals. When adapting a new Maxima Clam to very intense lighting, it is ideal to set them on a small rock or in a plastic dish with coarse substrate at the bottom of the aquarium. Over time, the clam can then be slowly moved up higher in the aquarium.

The Maxima Clam relies heavily on the photosynthesis of the zooxanthellae cells growing in its mantle. However, all clams also require micro foods designed for filter feeders, especially when small. Offer phytoplankton and other micro foods.