Electric Flame Scallop - Ctenoides ales

The Electric Flame Scallop (Ctenoides ales) has a brown or white shell with a vibrant red-orange mantle. Thin red or white tentacles (actually the eye stalks of the scallop) extend across the edge of its mantle. The Electric Flame Scallop has an exciting appearance as flickers of "electricity" can be seen coursing across the mantle edge just inside the shells. These are color flashes of the blue-purple fringes on the edges of the mantle, and are not harmful to the aquarist or other tank residents in any way.

Despite the common name, these are not true scallops but are actually from a group commonly known as "file clams" due to their rough, textured shells. They are filter feeders and need lots of food to thrive and do best in a well-filtered aquarium that can maintain pristine water conditions while providing enough food. Do not keep with fish or invertebrates that may pick at the sensitive mantle of this animal. When threatened, the two halves of the shell will close up tightly and the animal may "swim" around the tank by propelling itself with jets of water. They may attach themselves to a surface with thin, strong byssal threads and should not be removed once attached.