Dr. Dan Killam on Nostr: Most clams make their living grazing on phytoplankton. This is a tricky game for the ...

Most clams make their living grazing on phytoplankton. This is a tricky game for the clams, because many phytoplankton species make toxins. Not all of them influence the clams, but some of them are probably made by the plankton to defend themselves. Saxitoxin is a powerful neurotoxin made by a plankton called Alexandrium (pictured) which seems to partially paralyze some bivalves at a high enough concentration, reducing their feeding ability and making them vulnerable to predators. #clamFacts