Horse’s Hoof Clam
Hippopus hippopus
Protection Status
Quick Facts
About the Species
Commonly referred to as the horse’s hoof, bear paw, or strawberry clam, Hippopus hippopus is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, occurring from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the west to the Republic of Kiribati in the east, and from New Caledonia in the south to the southern islands of Japan in the north.
Most often, H. hippopus is found in shallow, nearshore patches of reef, sandy areas and seagrass beds, but it can also be found on coral reefs as deep as 32 feet.
H. hippopus has a heavy, thick shell that features prominent reddish blotches in irregular concentric bands. The mantle usually exhibits mottled patterns in green, yellow-brown, or gray and does not extend over the margins of the shell.
Decades of intense, unregulated harvest has driven H. hippopus to low abundance throughout much of its range. Past and ongoing harvest for meat and shells is the primary threat to this and other giant clam species.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Mollusca | Class | Bivalvia | Order | Cardiida | Family | Cardiidae | Genus | Hippopus | Species | hippopus |
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Featured News
Management Overview
NOAA Fisheries has completed a status review for Hippopus hippopus and is proposing to list the species as threatened throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Fisheries is proposing to extend all of the prohibitions under Section 9 of the ESA to H. hippopus.