Corbicula javanicus

About This Species

Basic Description

Also known as the Asiatic or Golden Clam, this freshwater bivalve is a natural water purifier for an aquarium. It lives at the bottom, typically burying itself in the sand or fine gravel. As it burrows, it helps aerate the substrate while filtering tiny food particles and debris from the water column. It's a peaceful, sedentary creature that is great for hobbyists who want to improve water clarity. While not difficult, it does require a stable environment to thrive, making it best for tanks that are already established.

Detailed Description

This clam thrives in tanks with low water flow, as this allows it to filter feed more efficiently. As a detritivore, its diet consists of unseen microscopic particles, algae, and biofilm, making it crucial to introduce it into a mature aquarium with an established biological ecosystem. A fine, sandy substrate of a few centimeters is necessary for its natural burrowing behavior, though this can disturb the roots of some delicate aquatic plants. Its constant filtering activity contributes significantly to water clarity, but it is sensitive to poor water quality and medications, which can be fatal. They are solitary and do not require companions.

Scientific Description

Corbicula javanicus, a bivalve mollusc of the Cyrenidae family, is a benthic organism native to freshwater systems in Asia. It functions as a crucial detritivore, contributing to nutrient cycling by consuming suspended organic matter and biofilm. Its physiology is marked by a low metabolism, minimal oxygen consumption, and low waste production, resulting in a minimal bioload factor within a closed aquatic system. This clam's sedentary lifestyle is spent mostly within the substrate, an environment it prefers to be soft for burrowing. It requires warm, stable, and neutral to slightly alkaline water conditions with moderate mineral content to support shell health and overall biological function.