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FAQs about Bivalve Mollusk Identification 2

Related Articles: Tridacnids, Bivalves, Mollusks,

Related FAQs:  Bivalve ID 1, Bivalve ID 3, Bivalve ID 4, & Bivalves 1, Bivalves 2, Bivalve Behavior, Bivalve Compatibility, Bivalve Selection, Bivalve Systems, Bivalve Feeding, Bivalve Disease, Bivalve Reproduction, Tridacnids, Tridacnid Clam BusinessTridacnid Identification, Tridacnid Selection, Tridacnid Compatibility, Tridacnid Systems, Tridacnid Lighting, Tridacnid Placement, Tridacnid Feeding, Tridacnid Disease, Tridacnid Reproduction, Flame Scallops,

Help/ID 3/15/08 OH! One last thing sorry....we found this little creature in our soft coral tank the other week and having a hard time identifying. It opens and closes like a clam and seems to have a mantle?!?! I took a pic last night... Thanks...Linds.... :0) <It is definitely a bivalve mollusk, although I cannot give you a specific ID. See: http://wetwebmedia.com/bividfaqs.htm or http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bivalvia.htm for more info on this. Welcome, have fun, Scott V.>

What is it? -bivalve ID 02/07/08 Hello WWM crew, and hope your day is going well. We have a "critter" on our live rock that we noticed some movement out of about a week ago. The LR has been in the tank for about 4 months now and was fully cured when we got it. It almost looks to us like some type of clam or something. It has a sort of "tongue", for lack of a better word, that sticks out where the bluish arrow is in the picture, and when we tap on the glass it retracts and constricts. We also see it "close" from the red/yellow arrow all the way around to the same spot on the other side, almost like a clam shell closing. It is never "open" more than you see it in the pic though, and we are quite curious as to what exactly it is. It seems firmly attached or fused to the LR and the only movement is when we tap on the glass and sometimes when we approach the tank. So, oh wise and wonderful WWM crew, what is it? Is it harmless or something to be concerned about? <Well it does certainly appear to be some type of bivalve (and a pretty cool looking one too!). I couldn't tell you which specifically. Please see here for some help get a better idea of what it might be: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bivalvia.htm In any case, I don't know of any such bivalves that could be any problem. They're all pretty harmless.> Thanks for all of the great info and help once again. Mike P.
<De nada,
Sara M.>

Clam or Oyster identification  -- 08/26/07 Bob, <Oops... didn't see this. Sara here.> Hello, I purchased this sun polyp and I really didn't even realize what these sun polyps where sitting on till I actually saw it move. Is it a clam or could it be an oyster? I don't know what it is so I was wondering if you could help me out here. <It could be one of any number of common, similar looking hitch-hiker bivalves. Check this out: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bivalvia.htm> Is it reef safe? Should I be concerned about any toxins it releases? <It's safe. You can enjoy it. :-) > Thanks for your help. Louis <De nada, Sara M.> <Hi again. Actually, I think this page might be even more helpful: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bividfaqs.htm Best,
Sara>

Photo ID, bivalve?  -- 07/03/07 Some days are just blonder than others...attaching the photo's would help considerably <Heeeheeee!> Hello Crew, <Hi Sandy, Mich with you.> I was wondering if you might tell me what this is, I got it about 8 months ago attached to a blue mushroom I bought. Looks like some sort of a clam, but unsure of what kind it might be, if in fact that is what it is. <Is definitely a bivalve of sorts. Beyond that, it is difficult, if not impossible to determine from just the info/photos provided. There are nearly 15,000 species. Sorry I can't be of more help here.> If it is , so far it has remained alive but wondering if it had special needs that I could meet to insure its health. <Hard to say, typically are filter feeders, pulling small organic particles, plankton/microplankton from the water column.> Thanks for a great website and your continued help of the well being of my ocean in a box LOL <Glad you like the website and on behalf of Bob and the rest of the crew you are quite welcome! Mich.> Sandy Caldwell

Bivalve Hitchhiker - 6/3/07 <Hi there!> Was surveying my tank tonight and noticed that one of my turbo snails appears to be splitting out of its shell. Upon closer inspection, it appears that there is some sort of mollusk hitched on my snail. <There is indeed!> Any idea what this might be (see attached pic)? <A bivalve of some sort. See the FAQ (with photos) dated 11/9/05 at this link for a similar case: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bividfaqs.htm> Thanks!
<You're welcome! -Lynn>

Bivalve Hitchhiker, General Info - 02/07/2007 <Greetings!  Mich with you tonight!> Hi - I'm wondering if you can help me ID this hitchhiker. <Definitely a bivalve, difficult to say much beyond that.>   It appeared about a week ago - I've had the rock for 5 weeks.  It stays put, but does snap shut and retreat when I get near it with the turkey baster. <Wouldn't you?> How did it just appear? <I'm guessing it was probably there all along, but perhaps overlooked.> Will it move? <It is possible, but unlikely.> Grow? <Hopefully.> Do I need to feed it? <Likely a filter feeder.> Nothing else in the tank yet except hermits, snails and 1 peppermint shrimp. Thanks! <You're welcome!> Pic is attached. <Got it!  -Mich>

Bivalve ID - 10/14/06 I've included two additional pics of this clam that may help you in identifying it.  Thanks. John <Unfortunately, those pictures don't shed much light on the mystery. Mollusks are quite diverse, and sometimes it's impossible to ID them properly without taking them apart, which I doubt you want to do. We'll be posting these pictures so perhaps someone else might send us a clue. Cheers, J -- >


When the ship is the hitch-hiker (with pics)   9/4/06 Good Evening Everyone! <Justin with you this evening> This has turned out to be the single most interesting purchase I've ever made at my LFS. I picked up a rock with some mushroom corals on it the other day. When I got home I put the bag into the water to acclimate them. When I finally took the them out of the bag I saw that a 5 inch sea cucumber had stowed away on the bottom of the rock. I was amazed. But not as amazed as I was today when I saw that the whole rock that the mushrooms were on had OPENED! i saw the odd "squiggly" lines but thought that they were just strata layers in the rock... but I believe that the rock that the mushrooms are on is an oyster or clam. <Yep, looks like an encrusting oyster/clam, but hard to tell without an open mantel shot and even then, its not easy to id.> He hasn't extended his mantle much but I snapped a pic getting as much of the detail of it as I could. I know he's alive because I squirted a little water at the opening with a turkey baster and it popped shut. Could you help me ID this guy? I try to do lots of research before purchasing critters, but this was a surprise and I don't know what he is or how to take care of him. I've been caring for a T. Squamosa clam for about 6 months (he's gotten nice and big now), so I have all the necessary care items for that... should i treat it about the same? Thanks so much, Eric <I've got three of these guys in my tank, and while I cannot ID mine either, I know what they eat and that mine are growing very well on a mixture of high light, good current and a mix of fish poo, fish food, and weekly additions of phyto or rotifers.  Not extremely hard to care for, but are probably filter feeders, so do keep spot feeding it using the baster.  should do fine in your tank if you can keep other clams alive.  Same basic requirements.> <Justin>



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