Clam Type?

[jda]

I am usually pretty good at this. Gut says Deresa, but it has scutes... and blue dots... I am at a loss. Any ideas? Anybody remember what baby Gigas looked like?

 

[Retro Reefer]

Never seen that color pattern but pretty sure it’s a derasa, nice clam

 

[reef lover]

Derasa
Very pretty

 

[rkpetersen]

On the inhalant siphon, that pattern of prominent tentacles, some with branching, indicates that it is either a derasa or squamosa. I can't see the scutes in that picture; if they're big and all over, it's probably a squamosa; if they're thin little ridges, a derasa. Definitely not a gigas, they have no tentacles at all on the smooth-edged inhalant siphon.

 

[DSC reef]

I'd say derasa. On rare occasions I've seen some with small schutes. That's a nice clam

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

Derasa clam

 

[raul medina]

Looks a bit like mine, I was told it was a Derasa, if you check uniquecorals.com they show a Derasa/Rainbow that looks familiar. But I would say they are definitely Derasa

 

[DSC reef]

Looks a bit like mine, I was told it was a Derasa, but looks a bit different, if you check uniquecorals.com they show a Derasa/Rainbow that looks familiar.

That's a very unique derasa. Even with the schutes you can still see the classic derasa shell.

 

[B0brobert]

I'll go with Derasa

 

[jda]

Thanks.

Squammy and Derasa Hybrid? J/K, let the flames begin.

The scutes are throwing me off. It is a lot smaller, but they look like Raul's on post #7. I have two and they both have scutes. The one at unique has pronounced scutes too.

 

[campaign000]

Have one like yours. I believe it's a derasa if not a new species.

 

[jda]

I just cannot explain the scutes. I went to the bookshelf to check with Knop & Fatherree and every reference to Derasa says that they have smooth shells, like we have come to expect.

I do not think that there is a new species, just maybe a hybrid, which are confirmed to happen. ...but maybe not.

 

[DSC reef]

I believe in hybrids @jda, its definitely possible IMO

 

[campaign000]

I once read an article by an expert said that different species of clams can't be hybrid.
Maybe Fatherree's new book will talk about it, who asked me about the scaly derasa a few months ago.

 

[jda]

Most clams that are supposed to be hybrids like Maxea and Squamocea are not hybrids - people have chalked these up to sales tactics to get prices up. There appear to be some potentially real hybrids that ORA is doing that look good and promising on the surface, but still need some genetic testing. I am getting most of this from the talk that Fatherree did in The Whales Vagina a few years ago. The video is an hour, but a good watch... he lays out why hybrids are possible when humans get involved, but not really all that likely in the wild.

I just cannot get past the scutes. They should not be there for a deresa... there are no known aberrant versions (that I can find) that have scutes, just mantle variations. There are beautiful blue and other colored species from the Great Barrier Reef that we will never see outside of photos, but even those have smooth shells.

 

[jda]

No more answers, but more photos:
https://reefbuilders.com/2010/08/06/batch-scaly-derasa-clams-spotted/

 

[shred5]

Looks to be Derasa but someone had what looked like a derasa hybrid might have been biota. Maybe it is a hybrid.

 

[TangingOut]

When I bought my derasa it was smooth, but has since develope scutes.

 

[jda]

FYI - Dr. Mac has these listed as "Dermosa" Hybrid clams. I would love to hear what Knopp or Fatherree think, but Dr. Mac is no dummy on clams.

 

[B0brobert]

FYI - Dr. Mac has these listed as "Dermosa" Hybrid clams. I would love to hear what Knopp or Fatherree think, but Dr. Mac is no dummy on clams.

See Fatherree video for "hybrids'' :