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Posted: Thursday, April 7th, 2005 5:57 AM HST

Seven threatened clams stolen from Waikiki Aquarium

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ Officials at the Waikiki Aquarium are pleading for the return of seven threatened giant clams stolen from a new exhibit late last week. Aquarium Director Andrew Rossiter says the clams are all juveniles. They range in length from one inch to four inches and were part of a new display of 44 clams that had opened on March 19th. Rossiter says the theft was discovered on Saturday but officials don't know exactly when or how they were taken. Rossiter says the clams are a threatened species well on their way to being endangered and are federally protected. He says the clams can be returned with no questions asked with complete amnesty. Rossiter says believes the thief may be a hobbyist who has an aquarium at home, or is trying to sell them. He says he's also concerned that the stolen clams could be released in the Pacific Ocean. That's because the clams are not native to Hawaii, and introducing alien species could cause havoc with the islands' ecosystem. (Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)