Dr. Dan Killam on Nostr: We say someone is "clamming up" if they're staying silent. But real-world clams have ...

We say someone is "clamming up" if they're staying silent. But real-world clams have all sorts of reasons to "clam up" aside from self-protection! They'll close their shells rapidly to force out poop, or clear off uneaten particles on their gills ("valve clapping"), or even when they're releasing their gametes! Some clams use that expelled water from closing to clear sand around them when digging, and scallops close their valves to generate jet propulsion for swimming! #clamFacts