Clam jumped ship! What to do?

[skinz78]

Your Crocea looks totally fine to me, and the Derasa is looking good to me as well. Derasa's close off their byssal opening when they get larger because their weight holds them in place so there is no need for the byssal threads. Squamosa's and Gigas are the same way. This doesn't actually mean that they don't like being on the rocks though.

 

[robert]

My crocea is high up in the tank in a pocket in the rocks. After I got him he sent out byssal threads and was virtually impossible to move. In the past when I had pyramid snails, It took close to an hour to cut him free so that I could move him over to the frag tank. After he recovered a bit, I put him back and within days he was anchored again.

This weekend, after reading your thread, I checked him again. He was loose - no byssal threads at all. He looks fine though. The only thing different is he has recently been irritated by a birds nest crowding in from the siphon side and a large anemone which occasionally tangles with him from the left. I guess mine was getting ready to jump ship as well.

Was anything irritating the clam where he was? I never knew they could do this.

 

[skinz78]

Robert, were there byssal threads connected to the rock below the clam that he had released? I'm guessing that he may not have even anchored down in it's new location.

 

[robert]

No he was firmly attached - I was amazed at the time how quickly he had reattached. I haven't moved him since. I went in yesterday to break back the birds nest - and thinking of this thread - tried to lift him and he was completely loose. No attachment at all. He was healthy but the mantle back where he was in contact with the birds nest looked a little pale. It was clearly an irritant - so maybe he was figuring on moving?

I was just totally surprised as the crocea is one of those creatures that I have learned to dread having to move. Once those byssal threads are down its next to impossible. I guess moving is an option when it suits the clam.