Flame scallop

Following yesterday's gastropod mollusc, a bivalve mollusc today. This is another animal I've found to be surprisingly common in the shallows of the reef flats. Its Lima scabra, also known as the flame scallop or file clam.

This is the white tentacled form, another form has pure red or orange with a matching mantle. These are popular aquarium subjects for obvious reasons but rarely do well. Their feeding methods make them unsuitable for all but the most skillfully maintained aquaria as they require large quantities of tiny particulate foods. Surprisingly there are similarly spectacular file clams around the world from the Philippine islands to the chilly waters of the UK.