Hitch hiker bivalve

brighteye

New member
I have this actually pretty cool bivalve that came on my live rock. It lives in a "cave", is about 1.5" wide and kinda hangs out of the cave with this stuff sticking out ( filter feeding apparatus ?). it is vivid orange with some crusty stuff on it( maybe old dying coralline). It can see because if you approach the tank too fast it sucks back into it's cave and snaps shut. It has been with this tank from the start, through the cycle and maybe if I can get an ID , I can begin to help it survive. I have done nothing special for it up till now and it's still hanging in there ( about 3 months now). I just ordered some coral frenzy to start feeding the tank, so maybe it will like that? Anyway, here is a pic of it. If anyone has seen one like this, replies would be appreciated. thanks.

199631bivalve.jpg
 
I can't tell from the pic, but if the whole shell "sucks back" into the rock, it's probably an Ark Clam. They are harmless filter feeders. You can search family Arcidae for some info on them and some pics.

Cheers,



Don
 
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