(Spondylus americanus) Moderate Peaceful 12" Filter Feeder Substrate 55 gallons Yes 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4 Calcium Red, White, Yellow Caribbean Spondylidae Scallops The Thorny Oyster is a member of the clam family. They are large sessile invertebrates with very colorful mantles. The Thorny Oyster's shell is shaped much like a scallop's shell, but the Thorny Oyster remains securely attached to the substrate on the aquarium floor, and does not wander. In the wild Thorny Oysters are commonly found on rocks, coral reefs, submerged wrecks, and sea walls, in water 1-150' (0.3-46 m) deep, with a distribution from the Carolinas to Brazil (most of the Caribbean). Their exterior is whitish, yellow, or orange to reddish-brown; early part of left valve often lighter or reddish and spotted; ribs and riblets on left valve with erect spines; right valve may have dense, leafy concentric ridges. The interior is smooth, whitish, light brown or reddish on ears, with finely grooved margin often purple, brownish, orange, or yellowish. The Thorny Oyster is a reef safe invertebrate that is most often kept by the home aquarist as an ornamental element in the aquarium. The shell has many ridges and spines giving the Thorny Oyster an unusual, unique appearance. It is always best to quarantine the Thorny Oyster to be sure that you do not introduce any protozoan diseases they may have. Hobbyists will want to maintain stable water parameters, as the Thorny Oyster is very sensitive to changes in specific gravity, and requires strong water currents. Thorny Oysters require good water conditions with moderate to strong water currents. They are sessile and are of no harm to either fish or other invertebrates in the aquarium. Thorny Oysters are filter feeders that use the water currents to deliver its food. In the aquarium environment it is necessary to provide moderate to strong water currents along with dissolved particulate organic substances like marine snow, bacteria and phytoplankton. Calcium supplements are also necessary for ongoing growth of the Thorny Oysters shell. Calcium supplementation is necessary for most all invertebrates as it is a crucial part of their ongoing growth and development.

(Lima scabra) Difficult Peaceful 4" Omnivore Substrate 30 gallons Yes 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4 None Red Caribbean Limidae Scallops The Red Flame Scallop, also called the Flame Scallop or Red File Shell Clam, has a bright red mantel with red or white tentacles. It uses its shell for protection, locomotion and feeding. By clamping its shell down it can either protect itself by hiding in the shell or by releasing a jet of water, which along with its tentacles can propel it through the water. The Flame Scallop will "swim" through the water until it finds a suitable rocky area of the aquarium where it can extend and secure its foot. Flame Scallops are filter feeders and prefer an established aquarium that has sufficient calcium in order to allow their shell to grow. They require specialized feeding and require only the best water conditions, thus making them a difficult species to keep (expert reef keeper only). More than one can be kept in each tank and they will often cluster together in one spot, which add a lot of beauty to any established reef aquarium. Red Flame Scallops prefer to be housed in aquariums that contain lots of live rock or rocky areas in which the scallop can nest. It will typically look for a location where it can embed itself between two pieces of rock or coral and where water flow is moderate. In the aquarium environment it is important to be sure that the Flame Scallop is not housed with species that will pick at it or try to eat it. If attacked or bothered the Red Flame Scallop can move by ejecting water and using its tentacles to propel itself through the water. In general though the Flame Scallop is tolerant of all non-threatening species. As a filter feeder it requires floating micro-plankton or baby brine shrimp to be kept alive in the aquarium, and thus will do best in a mature reef aquarium system. It is also important to provide proper calcium levels and alkalinity. Water conditions must be excellent as this species will not tolerate nitrates or copper-based medications. Red flame scallops are not photosynthetic and will require supplements be added to the water in order to properly feed this species. Items such as phytoplankton, baby brine shrimp and other organic foods or food mixes should be provided by using either a dropper or pipette. The food should be placed a few inches away from the scallop where the water current will take it to the scallop. This species feeds by drawing in water and filtering or extracting its food using specialized tentacles. If you have more than one scallop in your tank, each should be fed separately.