Hitchhiker ID LARGE something!

[SudzFD]

I have two similar hitchhikers I’d like ID on they have grown to their present size over the last year probably. They are about 3 inches long and one inch across. They are very thin and feel hard but fragile. Anyone have any ideas let me know! Thank you!

 

[TortillaMan]

Looks like a little oyster

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Some sort of bivalves
@ISpeakForTheSeas

 

[betareef]

Definitely an oyster - not the type you normally eat though

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, looks like Pteria sp. oysters - neat!

I haven't seen these in a tank before, so I'm glad to see they're doing well for you. Have you been feeding any tiny foods like phyto?

 

[SudzFD]

Yeah, looks like Pteria sp. oysters - neat!

I haven't seen these in a tank before, so I'm glad to see they're doing well for you. Have you been feeding any tiny foods like phyto?

Thank you so much! I think you are exactly right. It looks just like Pteria avicular. It sounds like they grow to 10 cm. Which would make two of the three close to full grown. They are very interesting looking.

I don’t feed phyto per se, but I do use coral frenzy from time to time and I have a small refugium which keeps a running supply of copepods into the display. I really appreciate you steering me to an ID.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have two similar hitchhikers I’d like ID on they have grown to their present size over the last year probably. They are about 3 inches long and one inch across. They are very thin and feel hard but fragile. Anyone have any ideas let me know! Thank you!

This is a biValve often confused as a clam or oyster but is actually related to the scallop grouping, is a filter feeder and not very long lived. They are often found amongst wild caught zoas

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

This is a biValve often confused as a clam or oyster but is actually related to the scallop grouping, is a filter feeder and not very long lived. They are often found amongst wild caught zoas

I have multiple bivalves among my wild zoas, approaching a year with them in july, not what this looks like though, the one I have is not nearly as thin

 

[betareef]

This is a biValve often confused as a clam or oyster but is actually related to the scallop grouping, is a filter feeder and not very long lived. They are often found amongst wild caught zoas

Interesting the distinction you are making here. I think this "winged oyster" is in the same grouping as a pearl oyster, and in fact they can also produce pearls. I guess I thought of it as different to both, common oysters (that you eat) and scallops.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Interesting the distinction you are making here. I think this "winged oyster" is in the same grouping as a pearl oyster, and in fact they can also produce pearls. I guess I thought of it as different to both, common oysters (that you eat) and scallops.

The distinction is inaccurate, and this oyster is different from the oysters like you eat and from scallops.

Bivalves are all creatures in the taxonomic class Bivalvia; all clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, cockles, etc. are bivalves differentiated by lower taxonomic classifications.

For example, the Pacific Oyster, Magallana gigas (formerly known as Crassostrea gigas), first differs from the Swift Wing Oyster, Pteria avicular, at the taxonomic superfamily level.

For comparison to help put that gap superfamily level gap into perspective, humans differ from baboons and macaques at the same level (Hominoidea for humans and Cercopithecoidea for baboons).

The difference between scallops and these oysters is one step higher taxonomically, with scallops being from the taxonomic order Pectinida and these oysters coming from Ostreida.

At the order level, the difference would be between humans and colugos/flying lemurs.

 

[SudzFD]

I have multiple bivalves among my wild zoas, approaching a year with them in july, not what this looks like though, the one I have is not nearly as thin

The first one I ever saw was very small amongst the zoa colony. So that makes sense too on where it came from. Thanks!