Cleaner Clam vs. Hermits (not the comparison versus)

[mr&mrs.o]

We got a reef package in yesterday that included two cleaner clams. We put them both in the tank. We've never had them and haven't read up on them too much. They were both closed up yesterday. I came home today and while looking at the tank saw that one was wide open. Looked in but nothing in there! Next to the shell was three of our larger hermit crabs all on "something". I move them away to find the something to be what looked like a small piece of rock with a piece of meaty flesh attached. I turned away to get my phone and check the other clam. Minute or so later went back and the hermits were back on the "something". Shooed them away but the meaty part was gone. I'm assuming this was what was left of the clam.
Question is: Did my hermits get in and kill my clam? Or did it more likely die and then the hermits got it?
Is it common for hermits to attack clams?

 

[aquaknight]

Cleaner clams, aka steamers, aka littlenecks, aka ___, are actually a temperate water speices, and almost always die in our tropical aquariums. Also, these clams don't really 'open' like the show clams (Tridacna ) we keep. They only open a 1mm or so, however if you have sand, should bury themselves in the sand.
A hermit can do nothing to a healthy clam. It will close up and wait till the hermit leaves. If the clam opens much at all, it's mostly likely dead. Your hermits were just doing their job, cleaning up the dead clam.

 

[mr&mrs.o]

Thanks for the info!