Maxima clam scute broke off?

[Reef Wizard]

Good evening,

I was feeding fish and noticed a piece that looks like a newly grown scute broke off or something? I found it in sand base of the rock clam is perched on

Can anyone confirm or help?

I waved hand above the maxima and it doesnt look like it broke off as all sides still have a rounded edge

 

[KrisReef]

How big is the clam?

I don’t think it’s a scut, those are curled along the axis.

Kind of looks like a snail operculum or a piece of shell?

 

[Reef Wizard]

How big is the clam?

I don’t think it’s a scut, those are curled along the axis.

Kind of looks like a snail operculum or a piece of shell?

The biggest snails I have are astrae and I do have some tiger conch but it seems big for them

 

[minus9]

If it is a scute, I wouldn't worry about it. They break off all the time without issue. I've removed them myself clearing out pyramid snails, so there's no harm to the clam.

 

[Reef Wizard]

If it is a scute, I wouldn't worry about it. They break off all the time without issue. I've removed them myself clearing out pyramid snails, so there's no harm to the clam.

The clam looks great as well. Not sure what this for sure is but a scute is closest thing it looks like to me

 

[minus9]

It does look like a snails operculum, possibly from a turbo? Clam scutes are only shiny white when they first form, but in our tanks, they're usually covered in algae or CCA, Also, the shape isn't concave or curved like most scutes are. I'll agree with @KrisReef that it's an operculum.

 

[Reef Wizard]

It does look like a snails operculum, possibly from a turbo? Clam scutes are only shiny white when they first form, but in our tanks, they're usually covered in algae or CCA, Also, the shape isn't concave or curved like most scutes are. I'll agree with @KrisReef that it's an operculum.

I had turbos last year but they all died I thought and this was just sitting in the sand. My watchman is a shell collector so maybe he shuffled it around

 

[minus9]

I had turbos last year but they all died I thought and this was just sitting in the sand. My watchman is a shell collector so maybe he shuffled it around

There you go.