Do clams have juvenile and adult coloring?

WhitePanther93 · May 4, 2022

The title says it all. Unfortunately I can’t get a decent picture of my own clam but for reference my crocea clam looked kind of like this one when I first got it except instead of orange it was a solid bar of teal.

lately I’ve notice that the teal coloration is fading and I can see more blue and black underneath. Has anyone else notice this kind of change in their crocea?

shakacuz · May 4, 2022

my crocea is still very small (less than 3in), but i have noticed some slight changes in color as well. it had some brown/gold in the mantle that is slowly changing/morphing. definitely growing though.

WhitePanther93 · May 4, 2022

This is the best picture I could get. iPhone zoom kinda sucks.

DeniseAndy · May 4, 2022

Mine have been changing as they grow. I have four crocea currently and the blues and golds are changing. They started between 1.75 and 2" and are over 3" now. Interesting, but have not thought about taking pictures to see the differences. Maybe I should get some now and see what happens in say 6 months.

djf91 · May 25, 2022

I feel like I’ve noticed Derasa changing color as they grow larger. The fully grown individuals look more pale and brown than smaller individuals.

Steve and his Animals · May 25, 2022

I imagine it has to with the populations of zooxanthellae in the mantle. Maybe the difference is the lighting you got it from vs. the lighting you keep it under?

MartinM · May 28, 2022

IME they change color and intensity based on light. I haven’t seen much change in maximas as they age, but my croceas are only a year old so I don’t have much of a time frame there.