Maxima?

[jhornik]

I have a maxima about two years old now and looks to be having some problems. First of all I had a conch that seemed to be bothering it, which is weird because both were introduced about the same time and never in the two years had the conch bothered the clam till now. So I removed the conch, and it looked as if the clam had a little hole drilled into the side of it. Very smooth as if it had actually been drilled. Now the clam will not open fully and it looks as if one half of the top portion of the clam is not coming out of it's shell. So, is he doomed, and has anyone had any experience w/this before. Also, pretty sure it's not PM he has always been the only clam in the tank and nothing new has been introduced for quite some time, same goes for parasitic snails.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[mbbuna]

do you know the latin name of the conch? can you post a pic of the conch, the back of the shell and the underside opening with the conch retracted into its shell.

 

[jhornik]

I can never seem to get my pics to post correctlly, anyone else have that problem w/snapfish? Anyway that being said I'll try and get some pics later. Till then I can give some unique characteristics of the conch. It's shell is very rough and almost looks more like a rock than a shell. His underbelly is a beigeish color and has orangish colored tiger stripes I guess you'd say. I do not know the scientific name as it was a hitchhiker a couple years ago. Really never had to many problems or even saw him much till now. He did eat a couple of snails but like I said he's been in htere two years and have rarelly seen him till recentlly on my clam.

 

[mbbuna]

if it was a hitchhiker then it doesnt sound good. most likely its not a conch but with out a photo its hard to say. some predatory snails will drill a hole and then inject there pray with a poison to paralyze them.

look on these links and see if anything looks like it

http://www.jaxshells.org/genus.htm

http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_pages/TN_Family_MURICIDAE_MURICINAE.html

http://seashellsofnsw.org.au/Muricinae/Pages/chicoreus_denudatus.htm

 

[jhornik]

Yep second link, looks like this species - Dermomurex (Dermomurex) alabastrum. So I'm going to take it that's a bad thing!

 

[mbbuna]

i can find anything that tell me more about the snail other then it a western Atlantic snail. as you've seen its predatory but i have no clue how much damage it did to you clam. just keep a close eye on it and hope it pulls through

 

[jhornik]

yep thanks for the info!