Byssal gland or something occasionally sticking out of inhalant siphon?

[delphinus]

Has anyone seen or heard of this.

Sometimes I look at one of my max's, and I see a whitish tongue-looking thing sticking out of the inhalant siphon. Out, in, out again, in again. It literally looks like it's sticking it's tongue out. It's white, so I think it's probably part of the byssal gland (the byssal gland is under the inhalant siphon, correct?)

No idea why this is happening, or what it means. Do they clean their gills out or something if perhaps they get clogged or something like that?

Anyone?

 

[delphinus]

Come on guys ... NOBODY has ever seen anything like this?

Even speculation would be appreciated ...

thanks

 

[mia1974]

clam

clam

Delphinus,

How is the clam doing at present?

 

[delphinus]

The clam appears to be OK. Other than it sticks its tongue out at me quite a bit (I guess it just doesn't like me ???? ), there are no indicators to me of ailing health (not gaping, seems to inflate its mantle, no signs of parasites on the shell or mantle that I can see...)

I did hear on another board, of another clam that periodically does this, but that fellow, just like me, also has no idea as to what's going on. But it's nice to know it's not entirely unheard of...

This has been going on for about two weeks (that I know of, at least).

 

[simonh]

Could it be the gills?

 

[delphinus]

Didn't look like the gills is the thing. Looked more like a solid white thing. Just like a little tongue. I figured it might have been part of the byssal, but who knows.

At any rate. Sadly, I guess I jinxed things by saying the clam was OK. Because, although it looked PERFECTLY fine yesterday, I found it perished during the night sometime last night. Just two shells this morning, and a whole lotta copepods finishing off what little was left of the clams insides ..

... sigh ... I hate it when my suspicions of "hey this doesn't look right" get confirmed.