New Maxima ?

[NewSchool04]

I bought a 2" ORA blue Maxima today and had a ? about coloration. It seems there are a couple of discolorations to the clams skin. Definitely not disease, but yellowish spots. The clam is an intense blue with what looks like yellow sections. Are clams born with a color pattern or could this be effected by shipping and I should expect the blue color to come back in these couple of spots?

Also, the person who I purchased the clam from, recommended placing the clam in a Monti cap. Said that it's a perfect place and insures protection from predators. Has anyone heard of this? He said the eventually the clam and the Monti Cap. would grow together.

 

[Azurel]

Got any pics?

 

[NewSchool04]

no, no pics. Just a coloration question. Is this normal and are color patterns permanent? Also, has anyone heard of placing a Maxima on a Monti cap?

 

[Snprhed]

Without pictures its only a best guess. But the coloration sounds normal, and permanent. Go to www.clamsdirect.com and look at coloration. (croceas) there are a couple of good examples there of the color I'm talking about. More tan than yellow. if its different then I would need a picture to help. As far as the cap I don't know if it would hurt them or not but it just doesn't seem like a great idea to me. Just dig through the rubble pile at the LFS and you should be able to find the perfect piece quickly. Although the cap thing would make a very interesting piece.

 

[Electrobes]

That coloration you are seeing, and without a picture I can only guess my best (hehe it rhymed!), but I believe its just a genetic coloration of its own. Often times farmers try to genetically remove imperfections like that by rearing more and more generations with parents without those type markings. In the wild it is prominent... very common to find.

Certain clams are known to bore into corals, but not all of them. Maxima is one of them.. known as rock boring, but often in the wild they are found bored into SPS corals. I have not doe enough research but I can't say whether the coral was there first and the coral grew around it or vice-versa. I am going to think that the Coral was there first, as the pics I have seen the Maxima is almost always a juvenile, and the SPS coral is usually much larger than the clam.
I agree with Snprhed on finding that magical piece of liverock. Its more convinient, plus should you ever need to move the clam, you will not be preoccupied with moving the usually bigger rock that the Monti. Cap is attached to.

 

[NewSchool04]

Thank you Electrobes and Snprhed. I checked out the blue Maximas at clamsdirect and saw the same colorations.

 

[Snprhed]

Cool So does that mean we helped!

 

[NewSchool04]

absolutely Snprhed!