OMG A Clam! help!

[ElectronRider]

I can't believe the kind of stuff I end up with... ok here goes:

I purchased a rock that had approx 20 really nice green mushrooms on what appeared to be a half a clam shell that had some spikes on it. After a week of wondering where the movement was coming from on my mushrooms, I see that most of the shrooms are growing on the top half of a clam! It is about 4 inches across, is almost circular. where the clam halves meet is a straight line, not wavy like the ornamental clams you see. It open its clamshell about a quarter of an inch or so, and I can see the clam flesh inside of it. It has some spikes on its top shell, and the bottom half is cemented to a small piece of rock.

After watching him for about 5 minutes, and being all proud of an extra critter for free, I had 2 thoughts. 1, what does it eat, and 2, whats gonna happen If it dies! Theres an awfull lot of flesh there, I immagine it would give quite a spike in the tank.

So what should I do? Any one have any idea what kind of clam it might be? I really dont want to keep it unless I know it will live in the tank, I can always scrape a few shrooms off and take it back to the LFS for a refund, or at least in store credit im sure.

I wont have a camera for a few days, so sorry for that

 

[Konadog]

Sounds like an oyster, not a clam to me. It's a common hitch hiker on live rock. You could try to target feed something like DT's, but I wouldn't worry about it. I have had these live for years without feeding directly.

 

[ElectronRider]

This thing is actually bigger than the rock it is attached to, didnt realise that oysters got as round as this is, but now that i recollect on my youth and freshwater oysters, It does look a lot like one.

 

[ledford1]

Sounds like a spin oyster. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, but look something like this:

I have some shells imbedded in my LR, but none are alive.

Congrats on your little friend.

 

[kappaknight]

Feed it some sand... maybe you'll get a pearl out of it. Heh.

 

[ElectronRider]

Thats it! except mine is covered in purple corraline algae and green mushrooms! thanks!

 

[Ti]

DOOD you can get a pearl!

 

[ElectronRider]

Really? how would I seed it? how could I check to see if it has one now without killin it? You guys gotta be yankin my chain, right?

 

[dfiddy]

right.