“The giant clam, Tridacna gigas (known as pā’ua in Cook Islands Māori), is the largest living bivalve mollusc. T. gigas is one of the most endangered clam species. It was mentioned as early as 1825 in scientific reports. One of a number of large clam species native to the shallow coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans, they can weigh more than 200 kilograms (440 lb) measure as much as 120 cm (47 in) across, and have an average lifespan in the wild of 100 years or more”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Tridacna Gigas, or Giant Clams spew water as a traditional fisherman passes by a small sanctuary on January 23, 2004 near Bolinao in the Northern Philippines. The clams, prime builders for coral reefs and providing shelter for spawning fish and other marine life, are exposed by low tides in the sanctuary. Overfishing and pollution throughout the country are not only threatening food security, but are also starting to choke one of the few working clam sanctuaries in the world. (Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images)

In the hours 41-year-old Ralph Savelsberg is not working as a physicist for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, he is recreating classic vehicles in everyones favourite bricks. Ralph said: Building a LEGO set is fun, but I've always preferred to build my own models. Here: “Ghostbusters”. (Photo by Ralph Savelsberg/Caters News)

As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child, women's rights activists point to progress on a wide array of issues but say more needs to be done to protect girls from child marriage, sexual assault and other forms of exploitation. Here is a selection of pictures showing the daily lives of girls across the globe, all taken by female Associated Press photojournalists. Here: In this December 14, 2015, file photo, a young clown rides in the back of a car following a procession to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Hundreds belonging to various clown associations made their annual pilgrimage to the Basilica to pay their respects to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint. (Photo by Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

Sikh devotee take part in Nagar Keertan procession on the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh birth anniversary in Allahabad, India on December 29, 2016. Guru Gobind Singh, born Gobind Rai (1666 – 1708), was the 10th Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam, Guru Gobind Singh was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at age nine, becoming the last of the living Sikh Gurus. (Photo by Prabhat Kumar Verma/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Reuters photographer Lucy Nicholson documented some of the migrant communities that live in Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a culturally thriving city and one of the most ethnically diverse in the United States, with a population that is 48.5 percent Latino and 11.3 percent Asian, according to a 2010 census. Immigration has become a hot button issue ahead of U.S. midterm elections on November 4, and despite arguments from the White House that legal migration benefits businesses, a recent opinion poll found most Americans believe migrants place a burden on the economy. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

When you gaze into the eyes of this beautiful creature, you can almost make out constellations forming deep within. The name of this magnificent bird is Zeus, named after the Greek god of the sky for her one-of-a-kind eyes. The reason why she has such eyes is because she is blind. She was saved by a family in Southern California, when they found her injured on their front porch. After realizing that this poor creature is blind and unable to take care of itself, they took her to an animal hospital. After she healed up, everyone agreed that she should be sent to the Wildlife Learning Center. From that point on, Zeus has been happily living in the center. And though she cannot see, you can bet that her other senses are ten times as sharp. (Photo by Wildlife Learning Center)

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg's 'Stranger Visions', comprising of 3D printed faces extracted from DNA taken from discarded cigarette butts and chewing gum, is displayed at the Big Bang Data exhibition at Somerset House on December 2, 2015 in London, England. The show highlights the data explosion that's radically transforming our lives. It opens on December 3, 2015 and runs until February 28, 2016 at Somerset House. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for Somerset House)

People take pictures and Buddhist monk chants as a groom and a bride lay inside a pink coffin during their wedding ceremony at Wat Takien temple in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok February 14, 2015. Ten Thai couples laid in the pink coffin starting 9:09 AM on Saturday during the wedding ceremony organised by the Buddhist temple on Valentine's Day. Couples believe laying briefly in the coffin will get rid of bad luck and usher happiness into their lives. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)