What Happened to the Byssal Muscle?

VR28man · Oct 8, 2018

So I took my Maxima and its rock out of the tank to clear off some algae. I also used a hacksaw to saw off some protrusions on the rock next to it (I feared the protusions might be restricting the clam. The "rock" is also artificial Caribsea ceramic and is very tough; I was also worried the clam would not be able to bore into it or otherwise grow around it).

I am 100% certain the blade did not come into contact with even the same surface as the byssal muscle.

But either way, the clam fell off the rock and I had a piece of the byssal muscle on the rock.

Red is the byssal muscle, green are the pieces of rock I sawed off. Clam is like 3 inches, the diameter of the piece of muscle there was about 0.5 inch.

What gives? Will this be a death sentence for the clam the way it probably would be if the muscle was cut?

FWIW, I moved it to a hole on a piece of coral rock (very dead and very dry Porites lutea or lobata, with most of its septa plugged up presumably by also very dead coralline, I found washed up on the beach) that I put on top of my rockwork. It looks fine to me; in fact I think (may just be selective thinking) that before I opened the tank hood to take this picture, it was open up wider than I've seen it before.

ETA: per DSCreef's comment: yes, I absolutely should not monkey with it more!!!!!

DSC reef · Oct 8, 2018

Typically a maxima will not bore, it will just attach. It probably let go due to the stress of cutting the rock. I would let the clam be for a while.

DSC reef · Oct 9, 2018

That's a nice maxima!

VR28man · Oct 9, 2018

DSC reef said:
That's a nice maxima!

Thank you, indeed it is.

This is one I hand-picked from @PacificEastAquaculture ........

(who is having a clam sale right now, BTW… I get no commission, just a very satisfied customer

)

jd371 · Oct 9, 2018

My Maxima is on the sand and sometimes it's loose were I'm able to pick it up away from the sand and other times it's attached rock solid and doesn't budge.

VR28man · Oct 9, 2018

jd371 said:
My Maxima is on the sand and sometimes it's loose were I'm able to pick it up away from the sand and other times it's attached rock solid and doesn't budge.

Interesting. When you’re able to pick it up, does a leave a bit of the byssal muscle behind? Or is the sand completely clean?

jd371 · Oct 9, 2018

When I'm able to lift it off the sand it's clean, nothing there. I looked under the stand to look at the bottom glass of the tank all I see is sand, there are no rocks under there so I don't know where it attaches to so it doesn't move.
Here's a pic so you can see where it is on the sand, it's about 2" - 3" of sand there.

DSC reef · Oct 9, 2018

The byssal threads can reach the glass. Once the clam gets big enough it usually won't lay the threads as it's not needed for stability.

MSB123 · Oct 9, 2018

My clam (about 8.5") does not attach to anything other then some sand that sticks to it.
My smaller clams, 2", 1.5" and 3", all attack to either to bottom glass or rockwork, depending on where they are.
@DSC reef, I think you are correct with the size vs stability

B0brobert · Oct 9, 2018

nice Maxima. How big is it?

jd371 · Oct 10, 2018

DSC reef said:
The byssal threads can reach the glass. Once the clam gets big enough it usually won't lay the threads as it's not needed for stability.

Of course that makes sense, should have realized that it gets bigger and heavier and would have no problem staying put without the help of the byssal threads.

B0brobert said:
nice Maxima. How big is it?

If you're asking about my clam it has doubled in size since I put in the tank. I believe it's around 7" - 8".

VR28man · Oct 14, 2018

jd371 said:
...my clam ... has doubled in size since I put in the tank. I believe it's around 7" - 8".

Very cool jd371. How long did it take to double in size?

As a follow-up to the original post, I lightly probed the clam today with my fingers. The byssal muscle has reattached to the new rock. It has also changed the angle it faces the light. I still think it opens pretty wide, but it frequently retracts when my shadow goes over it, and will take a minute or two to open up again. All in all, the clam seems to be healthy.....;Joyful