How rare are these clams?

How rare are these bi-colored clams? seen a picture the other day, and was wondering if anyone on 3reef has one currently? take a look.

 

I've never seen one before, but I'm also not that into clams. It looks pretty cool, but I think I would prefer a standard clam. It's just not my cup of tea.

 

I have not seen any like that.

Now are you 100% certain the picture was not altered?

 

im not 100% it isnt altered, but I ask myself why would someone go through all that trouble/work to alter it. Im sure a blue clam and a green clam got drunk one night and this bi-color clam came about.. lol ;D

 

lol. I imagine that's not very likely. You'd need a genetic defect where the clam has 2 of the same gene, if I'm imagining correctly.

 

I would think extremely rare. Pretty, cool clam.

 

It may be rare, but I think it is possible. I always thought that the color of the clam is from the zooxanthellae that inhabit it, so I doubt it has anything to do with the clams genome. Is that incorrect?

If I am correct, it may be possible that, for some reason, the zooxanthellae are expressing a different color on each side of the mantle. If someone knew how the color of the zooxanthellae is determined in the first place (because it clearly varies between clams), that would help a lot!

 

I'm fairly sure all zooxanthellae are brown, and the coloration is from the clam. The amount that comes through of the clam's coloration is dependent on the amount of zooxanthellae present and the angle at which it is viewed.

 

Well if that is the real thing, that's one hell of a clam. I would guess that it's a rare clam.

 

I know Sara had a picture of one.....that exact same picture in fact. You could PM her and see if she knows anything about them. Her user name is Sihaya.