Elongate Giant Clam

Guardian Karin McKirdy
Elongate Giant Clam
Why are corals and clams so colourful?
The colour is created by the selective absorption of light by pigments (they absorb some colours and reflect others). There are a variety of pigments or molecules and they have various functions but corals and clams are so bright or fluorescent because they have crystalline pigments. These pigments have the atoms aligned like crystals, that are so tightly packed that they reflect damaging solar radiation and in doing so create the sparkling glimmering colours of the reef.
This means that when you are snorkelling or diving you are flying over millions of crystals, over living, breathing, crystal skin.
No wonder it is so magic.