Is this clam ok?

verojeremy

verojeremy

Member
I just woke up this morning to my crocea clam half eaten then found it died by small boring sponges. So i looked on my other clams and my squamosa and teardrop are fine. This one has small holes everywhere, anyone know what it is?


I scrubbed off the white dots but, are these holes fatal to the clam? (Derasa Clam)
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
It could very well be the larval stage of Cliona celata which is a common name for a yellow red, yellow or orange clam boring sponge.
The larval stage of this sponge attaches itself to the shells of muscles and clams before continuing off into open water and settling on other rocks. More than likely this larval stage will kill most clams...
http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/biota/inverts/porif/boring.htm
 
S

saxman

Guest
About the only thing you can do besides scrubbing the clam is to do a FW dip...match temp and pH and dip the clam for 30-45 mins.
Note: FWD's are rather hard on the clam, but can save them if there's no other recourse. I've also seen it push an ailing clam over the edge and they die.
 
coralreefertom

coralreefertom

New Member
Nothing really can be done as once these sponges or worms bore into the shell of the clam, they prey on the clam from the inside out. Their is another menace to clams that kill clams a different way. Small white pyram snails will focus their attention along the clams Byssal threads and work their way inside the clam through the bottom of the clam in the foot area. Those snails you can pick off with your hands or small tweezers. Then keep checking to see if more show up, to quickly rid them. Before they kill your clam.
 
S

saxman

Guest
Also, check your clam for any gelatinous egg masses and remove them as well.
 
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