FAQs about Bivalve Mollusk Identification
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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 Business, Tridacnid Identification, Tridacnid Selection, Tridacnid Compatibility, Tridacnid Systems, Tridacnid Lighting, Tridacnid Placement, Tridacnid Feeding, Tridacnid Disease, Tridacnid Reproduction, Flame Scallops,
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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.> |
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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.> |
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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> |
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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
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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> |
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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 -- >
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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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