Something Crawling on My Crocea Clam!

[kevinfa]

Hey guys,

Last night after the light was out and as I was watching my tank in dark I notice this on the side of my small Crocea Clam. Maybe 1-2 inch and somehow hairy looking. Any idea what is it?

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz88/kevinfa/clam.jpg?t=1270915547

[JAStoodz]

I could be wrong, but it looks like a cucumber to me.

[kevinfa]

Should I be concerned about that or leave it alone? my tank is one year old and this is the first time I see it.

My tank is a 14 gallon bicube.

[drnihili]

Looks like a chiton to me. Chiton or cucumber, leave it alone. It's just grazing.

Was it mostly flat or more cylindrical?

[kevinfa]

it looks flat to me

[Damia713]

it is a chiton or a limpet I think one has a hole in it's shell the other doesn't. it should move on its own don't try to pull it off they are really strong.

[drnihili]

Definitely not a limpet. Limpets are shaped like little mountains - round/oval shell base coming up to a point. Think of a snail with a chinese hat for a shell.

A sea cucumber would be roughly cylindrical and have no shell. It's shaped like it's namesake but soft and squishy.

This is a chiton. Sort of a cross between a snail and an armadillo. It's basically a flat snail, but its shell consists of segmented plates. Yours is a nice one. I wish it were in my tank. Mine are just tiny gray things.

[ROB2005]

Chiton indeed, let him be. Like another poster said, you will only stress your clam trying to pull him off. Can be worser than trying to loosen a rusted nut :p

[Shard]

Appears to be a chiton. They are very reef safe and just clean up algae. Consider it an added part of your clean up crew!

[justsomeguy]

I agree, it's a chiton