Rarest clam in the hobby...? Hybrid inside!

Johnny C

New member
Here's a cell phone quality picture of the nicest/rarest clam I have ever seen; <b>double mantled</b>! :inlove: Thoughts/Comments?

doubleclamJPG.jpg


PS- Will add a better quality photo soon. Stay tuned...
 
Actually, maybe I am seeing it. I was thinking like two layers, but it kind of looks like it could be two separate mantles split at the middle of the clam perpendicular to the 'smile'. There is a bit of overlap there that looks different. Like two clams stuffed into a larger shell. Hard to tell since its not fully opened. Is that what you are talking about?
 
I see it. Top and bottom. Interesting I would love to see a better picture. Does it have 4 openings?
 
Thanks for the comments. I know the picture quality is terrible and does not clearly show where the mantles are split. I will bust out the DSLR tomarrow and get a real picture. This clam came in from ORA as a regular maxima, which it is clearly not. :smurf: Maybe this will help...

doubleclamJPG-1.jpg
 
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siamese deformaty withstanding it still looks like a regular maxima until pics show otherwise.

That is probably why ORA did not even notice. It is hard to tell from the pic, but even if it does have 4 valves and two mantles, I think most people would not notice at first glance. If it is a very nice color as well, it will make an attractive novelty item that someone will want more badly than others though. Not downplaying the uniqueness at all. It is pretty unusual.
 
I see it! It looks like two clams in one :D

I think people are looking for two different coloration or patterns

but what I see is same pattern/color but two layers?
 
Might be a bad pic but im not that impressed.

No offense, but it's DEF a bad pic. I saw this clam in person about a week ago, and its bright neon blue with patterns throughout the mantles.

I believe when i saw it, one of the mantles has a mouth. the other has the output siphon thing.

it seems like it is ONE clam, with ONE mouth, ONE output siphon hole, and TWO separate "mantles" if that makes any sense at all...

it would be like a human, which shares a pair of legs, but has two upperbodies. one upper body has lungs, and the other has a heart. (for an analogy... idk if this is possible in real life though)
 
Not to burst your bubble but it looks like the mantle may have just folded over itself. It may not have had enough calcium available to be able to build its shell fast enough and the mantle grew more than the shell.
 
I'd guess it had some sort of cleaving or tearing injury to the mantle and it just healed with a little overlap
 
Itll be interesting to see what happens as it grows. Its possible it is an overgrown fold, like insane suggested. Either way, its interesting. Did you buy it?
 
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