These are common in sand on lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs.
Empty shells are often found laying out on the bottom, so obviously some predator is able to dig them up and eat them.
Octopus sometimes leave shells of the mollusks they eat on tops of table Acropora corals. Below, the coral has covered an old empty clam shell, incorporating it into its colony.
Created 13 February 2019
Updated 22 October 2022