snail attacked my clam

[2t2_crash]

I noticed a snail in my tank was sitting on my clam for an oddly long time and also that the clam wasn't opening all the way up so I pulled the snail off (with quite a bit of effort) only to see there was a small hole on the side of my clam.
Snail went in the sump and the clam is just sitting there half open, can it recover from this?

 

[acrodave]

can you get a pic of the snail??? I belive you i just want to see it ..were did the snail come from?

 

[jdmcivicek9]

all my nassarius snails went to the sump after they started climbing on my gigas and really made him upset...

 

[THEUNION1]

Is it still alive? I know that when the clam gets ready to die and super weak (or already dead) the snails will flock to it.

 

[2t2_crash]

I'll try to get a picture, I worked 12 hours today so I came home with lights were off.

ETA: the clam was good to go when I put it in there. it was open and happy until the snail got on it.

 

[redvicki]

Check out Whelk snails online, they can drill holes and kill SPS. I know I had one in my tank. I think I picked mine up at the LFS when yhey gave me a bunch of empty shells for my crabs, only one wasn't empty.

 

[a4twenty]

i have never heard of a whelk being able to bore through a clams shell. sounds more like a moon snail but a picture will be required for ID.

the moon snail has a supper strong foot and will attach the clams shell, drill a small hole, release enzymes and suck the clam out.

please post pictures of the clam, snail and the hole, then we can positively ID and give a better idea of survival chances.

HTH

 

[pagojoe]

Did it actually drill the shell of the clam, or was the hole in the clam's mantle?

 

[jdmcivicek9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14413371#post14413371 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THEUNION1
Is it still alive? I know that when the clam gets ready to die and super weak (or already dead) the snails will flock to it.

yeah its still alive, i took them out before they caused any real damage..

 

[Crustman]

There are snails that drill called Wentletraps. They can kill bivalves by boring through the shell and feeding on them. Check your tank for others.

 

[pagojoe]

I believe the Wentletraps mostly, or exclusively, feed on cnidarians? (Fretter & Graham, 1994) At least, all the ones I ever found were associated with anemones or soft corals. I think most of the borers are either muricids or ranellids.

Cheers,



Don