ID please

steamboatwv · 03-02-2007, 04:46 PM

i found a few of these now, on my pagoda and on my star polyps. the one on the pagoda when i found it the pagoda was dying under it just a small spot, now it may have been there just to feed on the dead tissue but i want to make sure that it didnt kill that tissue, i have looked and cant find any snail id that looks like it but it does crawl around like a snail but when you look at the opening side it kinda looks like a scallop shell but i know thats not what it is or it wouldnt be crawling, i put arrows on the ends of them because they have like 4 hard extentions that stick out evenly on each side that look like feathers but they are hard like its shell..

ScruffyRubicon · 03-02-2007, 04:54 PM

Wish I could help you. Not Sure.

LeslieH · 03-02-2007, 09:14 PM

That's an ark shell. These clams are all filter feeders and I guess that this one being on top of the dead spot on your pagoda is by chance. Some clams are very mobile - think of the scallops & file clams that are active swimmers.

steamboatwv · 03-04-2007, 02:32 AM

I have looked and looked and cant find any arkshell clams that look like these, with the 4 little hard fingers on each side that looks like feathers....

LeslieH · 03-04-2007, 11:13 AM

I was told once that the projections are prominent on juveniles of some species and as the shell gets larger the fingers are eroded off or overgrown by more shell. The key character for me is the unusual depression where the 2 valves meet.