Electric Flame Scallop

[Jimmy719]

Hey I was in the fish store here and saw a flame scallop that had a current you could see running across the edges of the inner mantle. I have never heard of this before, but asked my invert TA what was up, she says there are caves in Palau that have swarms of these guys in them, but she didn't know the function of the electricity.

Anyone out there know what kind of current they have- and if they'd be reef safe? They were in with the other inverts at the store, and this store is marine only, so I trust that they know what theyre doing, and not harming the other animals.

Thanks

Jimmy

[SurferStevo]

Reef safe - yes.
Easy to keep - NO.
The survival rate of those scallops is dismal. I have heard of people keeping them but the tank was running an under sized skimmer. So, it seems they need more nutrient rich water.
They do look neat with the voltage going through them!

[Jimmy719]

Right on. I'm curious whether I should attempt it- I could feed it directly, but the nutrient content of my water... do you just mean my level of NO3/PO4? Or do you mean how much microscopic life I have floating around in the water to feed it? My skimmer is (I'm told) way oversized, for my tank. I have a Turboflotor 1000 on a 65 gallon tank. Let me know what you think!

Thanks man

Jimmy

[dragon_slayer]

the "current" is the passing of food particals between the two mantels, its NOT an actual electrical current.

they can be target feed, but its best to feed the tank with phytoplankton regularly rather then target feedings.

IME they never find "home" where you'd like to have them at, at least in my tanks, they end up behind rocks where they arent as easly seen. iv got one in my 29 that is close to 8 months old, has grown from 1.5" to close to 2" now (shell size) and is attached to a 40lb chunk of LR at the back of the tank. the only way to see it is to look in the side glass and down right next to the DSB, not a very popular place.

hth
kc

[Jimmy719]

Its just food particles? Why do they emit light?

[dragon_slayer]

they dont emit light, turn off your lights and watch, you'll see no spark.

the food particals are reflecting no producing light.

kc

[Jimmy719]

Weird. I can't actually try that because its in the fish store. Could it be we are talking about two different things? Because as I said before, apparently you can see them lit up in caves.

Jimmy

[dragon_slayer]

well i guess we could be talking about two different things.

the electric flame scallops sold in the lfs have always been the same kind. they look exactly like a flame scallop but have the "arching". they do not light up in the tanks with lights out. i have and have had many and none ever gave off any form of light.

i have no idea where in the ocean they come from, be it a cave or not, but they dont emite any light, they reflect.

kc

[lllosingit]

Here is what I found on the subject if you can understand all the technical mumbo jumbo

E Nasi
Department of Physiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts 02118.

Voltage-dependent membrane currents were investigated in enzymatically dissociated photoreceptors of Lima scabra(Flame Scalop) using the whole-cell clamp technique. Depolarizing steps to voltages more positive than -10 mV elicit a transient inward current followed by a delayed, sustained outward current. The outward current is insensitive to replacement of a large fraction of extracellular Cl- with the impermeant anion glucuronate. Superfusion with tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine reversibly abolishes the outward current, and internal perfusion with cesium also suppresses it, indicating that it is mediated by potassium channels. Isolation of the inward current reveals a fast activation kinetics, the peak amplitude occurring as early as 4-5 ms after stimulus onset, and a relatively rapid, though incomplete inactivation. Within the range of voltages examined, spanning up to +90 mV, reversal was not observed. The inward current is not sensitive to tetrodotoxin at concentrations up to 10 microM, and survives replacement of extracellular Na with tetramethylammonium. On the other hand, it is completely eliminated by calcium removal from the perfusing solution, and it is partially blocked by submillimolar concentrations of cadmium, suggesting that it is entirely due to voltage-dependent calcium channels. Analysis of the kinetics and voltage dependence of the isolated calcium current indicates the presence of two components, possibly reflecting the existence of separate populations of channels. Barium and strontium can pass through these channels, though less easily than calcium. Both the activation and the inactivation become significantly more sluggish when these ions serve as the charge carrier. A large fraction of the outward current is activated by preceding calcium influx. Suppression of this calcium-dependent potassium current shows a small residual component resembling the delayed rectifier. In addition, a transient outward current sensitive to 4-aminopyridine (Ia) could also be identified. The relevance of such conductance mechanisms in the generation of the light response in Lima photoreceptors is discussed.

[jugger]

its not electricity.... if you look real close its a flap of skin that flips up and down to give the apearance

[MDKyleZ]

With regular feedings of both phyto and zoo plankton I have kept these guys alive for years. I've only had about 4 out of fifty or so die on me so far... I am however running an undersized skimmer to help keep them.

Kyle

[acroporas]

Originally posted by MDKyleZ
I've only had about 4 out of fifty or so die on me so far...


So are you saying you have 46 of them in your 125 right now? Dam that is a lot... Is there room left for any fish, corals, or other inverts?

[MDKyleZ]

I have 46 total in a 125, 18 and a 250 gallon grow out and live rock tank.

Kyle

[dragon_slayer]

i'm gonna go out on a limb here with you MDKyleZ,,,,,,,,,,,you really like the flame scallops dont ya????


kc

[Wheeldog63]

Thats cool kyle, by any chance do you work for dave and tim at aqua works...if you do tell them Kelly said hey and I got my first clams this last weekend.

[MDKyleZ]

dragon_slayer:
What do you know your right I do really like flame scallops.. they are also very easily collected.


Wheeldog63:
Sorry Kelly I don't work for Tim and Dave but I do know both of them, I'll tell them hey for you when I see them. How do you know them?

Kyle

[Wheeldog63]

MDKyleZ, I went to UWF last fall. I all but worked there:) They are both cool. I really liked it down there, but UWF just wasn't a good enough school for me for what I was paying....so I came back. I hope u like it there, also if you like SCUBA make sure u join the SCUBA club, I don't knwo who leads it now, but the past guys in there were cool.

[Freed]

I have to agree with jugger, the "light" you are seeing is a flap of the mantle that goes the entire length of the rim or edge of the mantle. The scallop flaps this rim or edge every once in a while which turns if from red to light blue or white. Take a close look some time and you will see what we are talking about. I love this forum on clams and mollusks. This rocks. I hope I helped y'all out. Thanks, Freed

[dragon_slayer]

Originally posted by MDKyleZ
dragon_slayer:
What do you know your right I do really like flame scallops.. they are also very easily collected.


Kyle

if i might, where are you "collecting" them from? my only means is the reef store in Montgomery and they are $15ea.

kc

[MDKyleZ]

dragon_slayer:
if i might, where are you "collecting" them from? my only means is the reef store in Montgomery and they are $15ea.

I collect them in the Keys.

Kyle

[dragon_slayer]

so for $15 worth of gas i can drive to p-cola and get a few from you :) ?????

kc

[Jimmy719]

hrmrmrmrmm. Haha, Im confused. My TA today said the ones she's seen are in masses in caves and definitely DO emit light, especially when you disturb them. She is known around the museum as the "Bivalve girl" so I definitely trust her, but she could be talking about something else. Next time I'm in my fish store I will set up camp next to this guy and see what the hell he's doing.

Peace, and thanks for the help. I don't think this guy is bound for my tank, but I am still curious what is going on.

Jimmy

[Snarkys]

live aquara says you can see it in the dark ?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1525&TopCatId=522

The mantel of this species seems to create electricity which can be seen shooting across the mantel like lightning bolts. These surges of electricity are bright enough to be seen in the aquarium when the lights are off.

[121]

Necro bump,

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/16139835?portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16139835">Electric Disco Clam</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/liquidguru">liquidguru</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>