Hippopus hippopus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Horse’s Hoof Clam, Bear Paw Clam, Strawberry Clam

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Myanmar to Fiji and Tonga, and north to Southern Japan and south to Western Australia and New Caledonia.

Size: 16 inches (40 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow coral reef environments, especially sandy areas and those containing coral rubble in intertidal areas and seen at depths between 3 - 20 feet (1 - 6 m).

General Husbandry: Very light olive green to yellowish brown mantle with many short tan lines. Shell is lighter in color and much smoother than Tridacna clams.

Place in a bed of sand or rubble with space to grow. Juveniles may attach to solid substrate, however larger specimens stay unattached in beds of loose sand or rubble.

Requires excellent lighting and moderate water movement.

So as not to repeat some of the information in the Introduction to this section, review it for more information on their aquarium husbandry.

They are also filter feeders and almost constantly filter the water for small particulates. Small specimens, < 2 - 3 inches can be fed a phytoplankton or greenwater supplement at least three times per week, which may encourage their growth. Larger specimens will do extremely well without any additional feedings.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Bivalvia

Subclass: Heterodonta

Order: Cardiida

Superfamily: Cardioidea

Family: Cardiidae

Subfamily: Tridacinae

Genus: Hippopus

FYI: Mariculture stock available.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Diet: Photosynthetic/Omnivore

Temperament: Peaceful

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy

Calcium (Ca): 380 - 430 mg/l

Alkalinity: 2.5 - 3.0 meq/l

Phosphate (PO4): <0.05 mg/l

Magnesium (Mg): approx. 1350 mg/l (relate to specific gravity)

Temperature Range: 72 - 83°F (22 - 28°C)

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Lighting: PAR 300 - 500+

Water Movement: WM 1 - 2

Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025

pH: 8.0 - 8.4

Iodine/Trace Elements Monitor/as necessary to maintain quality seawater.