What the heck!? My clams are smokin'!

[amahler]

I came into the room this evening just in time to see the strangest thing. Virtually every clam in my tank attached to my LR was "smoking".

I'm sure it's not smoke, of course, but it's (whatever IT is) virtually indistinguishable. It literally looks like a candle has been blown out or incense is burning inside the clam.

What was stranger was that four or five of them were doing it all at one time. It clouded the entire tank up in a matter seconds.

I scrambled to get the camera before it stopped, so I wasn't able to really set up for quality shots. These are a little off focus and the lighting isn't as good as I'd like, but it's pretty apparent nonetheless.


http://sparhawk.sbc.edu/tank/smoking-clams/index.html

The Butterfly, always curious, swam over and stuck his mouth on it. Looked for all the world like he was toking a clam doobie.

Is this some kind of reproductive process? Whatever the case, what triggers the behavior across multiple clams on multiple rocks? If it is reproductive, did my clams just... uh... well, you know... in my tank?

Any input would be great.

- Aaron

 

[revhtree]

Your clams just spawned!!!!!!!!!!

 

[electrikat]

Sound like they were trying to send out a sperm/egg cloud. One starts it and the rest follow. However it will really foul up your water. You might want to add some fresh gac for a few days.

 

[amahler]

I had a feeling.

What's next? Is this common? Or would all clam owners yawn and say "Yeah... clam sex. Call me when something neat happens."

Thanks!
- Aaron

 

[amahler]

Well, the water is as clear as it was before the big "poof" already and I have a bag of carbon in the sump that has been there a couple of weeks anyway.

Any concerns here I need to address?

Thanks!
- Aaron

 

[revhtree]

Giant clams reproduce sexually via broadcast spawning. They expel sperm and eggs into the sea. Fertilization takes place in open water and is followed by a planktonic larval stage. The larvae (veligers) must swim and feed in the water column until they are sufficiently developed to settle on a suitable substrate, usually sand or coral rubble, and begin their adult life as a sessile clam.

Credits: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Tridacna_gigas.html

 

[amahler]

And I suppose the odds of this cycle completing in my tank are somewhere between laughable and squat?

- Aaron

 

[rayjay]

Here is mine from a couple of days ago.

 

[Brenden]

Man....Looks like his eyeballs were floating.