Need Clam ID

Nishant · May 22, 2014

Hey friends,

need an ID on this clam...

Nishant · May 22, 2014

Also, if someone can comment as to whether its correctly placed ?

ohio reefer · May 22, 2014

Nishant said:
Hey friends,

need an ID on this clam...

It appears to be a bleached maxima. I'd place it mid to high on the rock work.

Tahoe61 · May 22, 2014

I can not tell if it's a Crocea or a Maxima. I have never seen a clam that bleached and still alive.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/jf/feature/index.php

stylaster · May 22, 2014

it is a crocea

skinz78 · May 22, 2014

Agreed, it's a Crocea and seems to be pretty bleached too.

What lighting do you have?

Nishant · May 23, 2014

Lighting is presently a Zaqos 120 light fixture with 4 x 54w T5s with external ballasts.

Additionally I have a red sea actinic blue and red sea pink T5s of 39w.

Tank is 42x20x20 inches.

Nishant · May 23, 2014

I have one more question. Should I touch it with my hand or wear gloves while handling the clam ?

Nishant · May 23, 2014

close up pics

I noticed this gape in the clam and am really concerned.... is this normal ? sorry if I sound like a newb... cause I am and particularly new to clams and dont know their anatomy.

Tahoe61 · May 23, 2014

Yes you can touch the clam with your bare hands. A little gaping is normal initially. Give the clam plenty of time on the sand bed to acclimate to your lighting.

mtnrunner · May 23, 2014

That is normal anatomy - the 'gap'. A claim has an in and out openings. You should see on the other end a pointed like structure. One is in flow, other is outflow.

Nishant · May 23, 2014

Thanks a ton guys. One last question.... do you think I should leave it in the substrate as it is or move to on top of a piece of LR ?

Tahoe61 · May 23, 2014

Leave in the sand bed for while. Your light sounds more than adequate for clams, just give the clam some time to get used to all that light. Right now the clam is bleached, it's lost some of it's zooxanthellae. The zooxanthellae provide some protection from the UV as well as provide the clam with carbohydrates for nutrition. Zooxanthellae also provide the clam with the coloration you see, which should be a deep rich coloration not that pale appearance you see now.

skinz78 · May 23, 2014

Tahoe61 said:
Leave in the sand bed for while. Your light sounds more than adequate for clams, just give the clam some time to get used to all that light. Right now the clam is bleached, it's lost some of it's zooxanthellae. The zooxanthellae provide some protection from the UV as well as provide the clam with carbohydrates for nutrition. Zooxanthellae also provide the clam with the coloration you see, which should be a deep rich coloration not that pale appearance you see now.

Agreed! I 'd move it up a little in a week or so.