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Clam in pond?

wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 8,878
in Wildlife gardening
Ok this is a bit of an odd one. I was netting blanket weed out of the pond today (again :| ) and this tiny clam (or mussel?) came out with it. The pond is about 18 months old and is just a small wildlife pond with no flowing water. I was only netting weed from the surface so I don't know what the thing was attached to. It must have come in with some plants last year but is it normal for clams to turn up in ponds? It's not something I ever heard of before.




Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people

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  • pansyfacepansyface PEAK DISTRICT DerbyshirePosts: 21,232
    Some aquariums have clams in them. Maybe it came in with some pond plants you bought?
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,256
    There are native freshwater mussels in the UK although much rarer now than when I was a child  ... There are also mussels sold for ponds for filtering/cleaning  the water ... 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 8,878
    Are the ones sold for ponds non-invasive? The pond doesn't directly connect to any other water but my drains go to the local stream and I guess birds can spread eggs about. I don't want to be the source of an invasion of bivalves.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Isle of WightPosts: 2,448
    Just been checking my trusty Readers Digest Field Guide and see there are some freshwater cockles which look similar to yours.Maybe an Orb Shell Cockle? They can live in ponds and apparently drains The book does not say if they are invasive or not but I would guess not or we would see more.
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,256
    @wild edges  ... maybe contact someone here https://www.welshwildlife.org/where-i-live/local-groups/ and see if they can ID them for you?
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • LynLyn DevonPosts: 21,143
    It’s a cockle.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • micearguersmicearguers CambridgePosts: 605
    There are hundreds of these in my pond. The picture below is of a pot with barley straw that was submerged over summer and pulled up today. They presumably arrived with one of the pond plants that I ordered a few years ago. I'm a bit surprised that I can find very little information about them online. Does anyone have insights into their role, benefits or drawbacks?


  • madpenguinmadpenguin Isle of WightPosts: 2,448
    Could they be swan mussels?
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • micearguersmicearguers CambridgePosts: 605
    @madpenguin they all seem to be quite small, around or below 10mm, whereas swan mussels can get quite large. They seem to be very similar to the one @wild edges showed at the start of this thread. Strange how hard it is to find any info on them!
  • micearguersmicearguers CambridgePosts: 605
    @madpenguin , @wild edges  and others, many searches later .. it sounds like it could be a 'fingernail clam':


    Size: 9-11 mm across. This small freshwater bivalve mollusc is broadly oval and fairly globular with a central umbo. The colour of the shell is usually a brown to grey with the juveniles being more yellow colour. The surface is silky with very fine, irregular concentric growth ridges.

    That page is quite informative, it has a map of UK prevalence.
     

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