Sandy Hook, NJ - C.S.I. - Mollusks Sandy Hook, NJ 07732 - Shells, wampum, pearls, coquinas, mercenaria, mya, oyster shells - Dave Grant - Brookdale College Ocean Institute

Sandy Hook-C.S.I. (Clam Sleuth Investigators)
"There ain't much in the sea that doesn't like eating clams!" - Captain Ken

Try your luck solving the mystery of who killed these clams by matching the number of the shell with the predator you think did the deed. Check the Taxonomist page, Shell Quiz and Shell Page for clues about these perpetrators.
Plant and Animal checklists for your students.
Send your research to us and you might win a prize for your class at Sandy Hook. Address your results on school (or Home-school group) letterhead to:
Sandy Hook-C.S.I., Box 533, Sandy Hook, NJ 07732

Prey

Predators

A. This animal takes the "Pentagon approach" to solving the problem of hard shells, and simply drops it from a great height on to any hard surface to break the clam open! (See Dave's Windshield!) The crime scene is usually a mess.

This perpetrator is a _______.

B. This animal takes it's time and uses water pressure to pry open its prey. This "perfect" crime scene is always "wiped clean" of fingerprints and footprints.

This perpetrator is a _______.

C. This predator is also a cannibal and may take several days to break-in through its victim's shell. Like a convict breaking out of jail, it uses a file-like device (radula) and leaves behind irrefutable evidence of its crime.

This perpetrator is a _______.

D. This animal really takes its time (years) to weaken the shell of the clam. It can only be prosecuted for involuntary clam-slaughter since it is dissolving the shell calcium for its own body and not actually feeding on the clam.

This perpetrator is a _______.

E. Most things in the ocean that are not buried by sediments will quickly be covered with fouling growth like these unique filter feeders ("Lophophorates"). This is an ancient Phylum of colonial animals and is abundant in the fossil records. Geologists use them to help date the age of earth formations. A cousin of them is used to produce Irish Sea "Ferns" for the floral trade. They grow on live shells that are exposed but probably are only an inconvenience to the living mussel.

F. This creature deserves an "F" for nipping Dave's finger while being rescued. Its tropical relative lives on land and is not native to our beaches, but might be found as an escaped pet.

Sandy Hook-C.S.I.
Answer sheet:

1. This hard clam was killed by a ____________

2. This hard clam was killed by a ____________

3. These shellfishes were killed by a __________

4. This surf clam was damaged by a __________

5. This mussel is covered by ________________

6. This creature that pinches is a _____________

Copy and paste this section to a Word document, then fill in your answers and send it to:
Sandy Hook-C.S.I., 53 Hudson Rd.- Sandy Hook, Highlands, NJ 07732
(Please, one entry per class.)

Email Sandy Hook

Plant and Animal checklists for your students.