Clam Diseases?

[NaH2O]

Other than the predatory snails, are there any types of diseases clams can get that we should look for? What have you experienced?

[Xanareef]

A popular "disease" which I've seen referenced to as "Clam Disease" is mantle pinching.

I don't know very much about it, but it's easily searched at other large reef forums.

HTH,

Alexis

[Witfull]

Originally posted by Xanareef
but it's easily searched at other large reef forums.

i believe Nikki was stimulating a topic for our discussion....lol

[Maxx]

I don't have any experiance currently w/ clam diseases, but according to Daniel Knop's book "Giant Clams", there are a few.
Gas bubble disease is one of them. This is caused by an oversaturation of atmospheric gases in the surrounding water, which is absorbed by the clam and wind up concentrating in the syphonal lobe and will form bubbles. This can actually cause smaller clams to float. According to the book, its not always fatal, but is very serious.
Bacteria infections can also be highly contagious and very fast acting (48 hours or less). Basically gram negative bacteria of the Vibrio, Xeromonas, or Plesiomonas groups will infect the animal and destroy the mantle. This is very serious and can be incredibly difficult to handle as most affected clams will die before any antibiotics can take effect.
Clams can also be infected w/ Rickettsia.....which just damn freakish as its a disease that affects humans as well. According to the book Chlamydia can also be present in clams.....I'm not really sure I want to know what people are doing to these clams to infect them w/ Chlamydia, but we wont go there.....

White spot disease is also another one....oddly enough its named because the clam is covered in little white spots, almost as if it were sprinkled in salt. Knop doesnt indocate what caused the infection but states that"The disease seems to be highly infectious as more than 40 clams in my tanks fell victim to the infection.....None of the infected animals survived."
Boring sponges and boring algae can weaken the animal and make it much more susceptible to other diseases.
Everything else seems to be on the order of parasitic or predatory w/ regards to clams.
Xanareef, could please tell me more about "Mantle pinching"?
Nick

[Barry N.]

Maxx,

Couldn't have said it better Great info.

"Pinched Mantle" IMO as well as others, do not think this is a pathogen but parasitic problem. I have seen this with some clams and did not spread to others in the same tank. Some good success has been done with FWD but I would not recommend this but as a last resort. IME, it take several days for the clam to recover and if the speciment is weak to begin with, some will not survive the dip.