clam with broken hinge

[TimT]

Looking good Christy.

I would be interested to see if the clam survives long term and how the shell growth pattern is modified due to the replacement hip oops I mean hinge.

Good Work!!!

[makana]

Everything I read said that it can't grow back. About a year ago mine my clam lost almost all of it. I placed it in a more secure location and a couple months later a couple threads grew out to the rock. Today it has almost a full foot stuck on the rock.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by makana

Everything I read said that it can't grow back. About a year ago mine my clam lost almost all of it. I placed it in a more secure location and a couple months later a couple threads grew out to the rock. Today it has almost a full foot stuck on the rock.

The foot and the hinge are two different parts on either "end" of the clam. The hinge will never grow back, the foot will never be lost (the clam would be dead as it is a major part of the internal tissues) and is only for mobility but the byssal gland, which produces the threads to attach to rock, can be damaged enough that it will no longer produce the threads (I do believe that larger clams will no longer produce the threads as they are heavy enough to stay put without attaching). Its likely that your clam lost its byssal threads and took awhile for the gland to recover and start producing again.