Clam Age by Size?

[Rovert]

Just wondering how long the average lifespan of a maxima or crocea is, and if it's possible to tell the age of a clam by its size.

 

[Timfish]

They live a long time, decades like many fish and corals. Due to variations in growth between specimens and conditions there's no way to determine age by size.

 

[DeniseAndy]

No way to tell really, but bigger is older.

 

[Rovert]

Just stumbled across this late last night:

All of the giant clam species grow at average rates. This makes aging an individual easy. Just measure the size of the shell from year to year. And all of the clams survive for a LONG time. For a maxima clam to reach that average size of 12-14 inches (30.5-35.6cm), it takes 50-60 YEARS. So taking on one of these beautiful mollusks is a long-term investment on your part.

Maxima Clam Care Guide: Tridacna maxima

How do you resist the colors and patterns of a maxima clam? Well, managing their care gets tricky. But this care guide offers the answers.

www.saltwateraquariumblog.com

 

[DeniseAndy]

Great, but how do you actually tell age by size. Does it say anywhere that 1' is 1year or anything? Cool that you can age them, but still how? If we get them captive bred around 1-2", how old are they at that point? Then we can measure our own rates. Curious.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Found this too.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0044848681900405
Says specific sizes and ages of a few clams. Cool.
More info:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687428519300068