Bristle Worm picked up my clam and started carrying it away

[thepudge]

Are you kidding me?! I read a lot about clams and bristle worms.. most people say they are harmless and will only go after a weak clam... But I just watched this big, green, foot-long bristleworm PICK UP my clam (3 inches long) and start carrying him away. So I turned on the lights, frightened off the worm, and put my clam in a cup on the sandbed.. hopefully that will protect him a little.

I thought my clam looked like he was doing well.. but I guess if he is being carried off by bristleworms he is not long for this world..

Still, it was something to see.

 

[Reefcherie]

That must have been the superman of bristle worms! You could substitute an old clam shell or flat rock for the cup under your clam and would achieve similar results with a more appealing look than the cup.

Is your clam responsive? Not gaping? Good color? If all those are true, the clam is likely still healthy and I wouldn't worry too much.

Cheri

 

[timsvw]

What does a gaping clam look like. My clam looks healthy and happy to me, and is also responsive to light changes, but I am not sure what people mean by gaping.

-Tim

 

[greenbean36191]

I would guess that the worm wasn't a bristleworm, but a euniciid worm (aka eunice worms or bobbit worms). They are much bigger than bristleworms and often move rocks around to make their homes. Do a search in Dr. Ron's forum and you can learn more about them.

 

[Reefcherie]

What does a gaping clam look like. My clam looks healthy and happy to me, and is also responsive to light changes, but I am not sure what people mean by gaping.

-Tim

As you look down at the top of the clam, you'll see two holes. The one that is small with tissue around it extending upward is the excurrent siphon. The other one is larger and is the incurrent siphon. The incurrent siphon should normally be open only a little (though in Crocea clams it is fairly common for it to be open more than other species). "Gaping" is when the incurrent siphon is open more than normal for an extended period of time. It tends to be a bad sign.

Cheri

 

[thepudge]

Well, I moved the rock in which the worm was living away from my clam.. Hopefully that will work. I'll check to see if it was

The clam looks fine, it is responsive and not gaping at all. The only problem I am having now is trying to keep the damned thing upright in his cup -- any suggestions? Does the fact that its not attaching mean that it is unhappy?

Thanks,

Alex

 

[Reefcherie]

Did you really want the clam to attach to a cup? I have 11 clams of various types and some attach; some don't. One thing I've grown used to is that clams move themselves around, even completely onto their sides until they find a position they are "happy" with. Happiness is probably controlled by light, water flow and who knows what else, but you can put it back upright until the cows come home and it will move back to the position it likes best, regardless of your wish for better mantle viewing or aesthetics. A cup may feel very unnatural to the clam and it may just be trying to find something that feels better. You could try moving the cup around a little I suppose. Personally, I'd get a small flat rock to put under it or an old clam shell. You can even hide the rock or clamshell by putting it slightly under the substrate, then putting the clam on top.

Cheri

 

[emuirishguy414]

WOW...

WOW...

I had the same thing happen to my 3" crocea, except that the green worm only ate it. It did not carry it away. The clam was extremely healthy and alive for 3 months before this happened. The green worm was at least 6 inches long! Did you ever get the worm out? If so, how?

 

[thepudge]

Nah, the worm is still in there.. I got a full picture of him which I will try to post later.. he is at least a foot long.. Instead I moved the clam-cup much higher in the tank, to keep him away from The Worm and get him some more light...


Another quick question -- I am starting to think that Petco sold me a gold maxima instead of a derasa... The shell has a lot of ridges and I heard derasas have smooth shells. How can I tell which I have?