Elton
http://www.lakeneosho.org/TEMP9a.html
Here is a description submitted to Paleo List @ yahoogroups by Dr Norm King.
*I would like to share this with the membership.
Many of us know about boring clams from our Paleontology studies. However, there may be some that had a few questions like my dad asked.
Dad sent me the following questions after viewing the web page.
Never heard of a "rock boring clam".... Dumb questions 1 2 3 .... 1 How large are they? 2 Do they produce HCL acid ?... 3 How do they bore ? Maybe Dr. King should help me... DAD
I referred the questions to Dr. Norm King and he sent him the following response ... I found the reply interesting and informative. There may be on the list who will find the following interesting also.
Barry
Dr. Kings reply to Dad's questions __________
Well, the boring clams were only looking for a place to live where no predators could get to them.
These particular types of Pholads (Family Pholadidae) bore by mechanical abrasion. Members of other families use chemical means. Some bore into wood, and are often called pile worms or ship worms, causing a great deal of destruction to pilings in coastal regions.
They begin as tiny swimming juveniles that settle onto a rock or sediment or wood surface. As they grow they move farther into the substrate, making a larger boring except for the aperture. The aperture remains small--just large enough for them to stick their siphon through. Since the body grows but the opening stays the same size, they are trapped in their borings.
They pull in a current of water and filter out plankton. Most other clams eat the same way, although a few have siphons (rubbery tubes) that literally vacuum up food particles from the sea floor.
Cool, yes? Norm *
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