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Nature’s first fiber optics could light the way to internet innovation

Clams called heart cockles use fiber optic–like structures to channel sunlight to symbiotic algae

A heart-shaped pink clamshell on a white background

Algae nestled within the heart cockle’s shell provides the clam with sugars and other important nutrients in exchange for fiber optic light filtration.

Ruiqi Li

By Elie Dolgin

In a discovery that blurs the line between biology and technology, scientists have found that heart-shaped clams use fiber optic–like structures to channel sunlight through their shells in much the same way that telecommunications company use fiber optics to deliver high-speed internet connectivity into homes.