Jumping Clam
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"That bastard Derek cheated last year, I just know it! But wait’ll he sees the beauty I fished up a few days ago! That prize is mine!"—Alec Pirak, clam trainer
The Jumping Clam, also referred to as the Soaring Clam or the Clammonball, is a peculiar species of freshwater clam found in lakes and rivers all over Haven. Known for their ability to leap great distances by firing off a pressurized stream of water, the Jumping Clam is perhaps the most mobile bivalve on Haven. It is also known for being used in many contests by individuals known as clam trainers.
Characteristics
Appearance
The Jumping Clam is around as large as a person’s head, with a hard, smooth shell and a curved opening on the front of the shell. The clam possesses a singular foot like other bivalves, though it is noticeably short for its size. Instead of using its foot to move, it uses it to position itself as it prepares for the next jump. It possesses dozens of tiny eyespots that help it determine whether it’s time to hide in the sand or come out to feed.
The clam’s shell is noticeably smooth, often looking like a river-worn stone or patch of sand. This not only gives it excellent camouflage when hiding amongst the sediment, but also decreases resistance whenever it jumps from the water. Additionally, this makes it difficult for predators to get a good grip on the clam, giving it some time to prepare an escape. However, predators who are specialized clam-killers often have little trouble with smashing through the clam’s defenses.
Biology
The Jumping Clam possesses a special organ that stores water to help filter potentially harmful particles out of its system. However, when the clam needs to move, it fills this organ to the brim and positions itself properly, firing out this water with enough force to send it flying for several meters. In fact, one can sometimes spot Jumping Clams flying from the water before sinking back down. The clam sometimes lands itself in fishing boats, often smacking unsuspecting fishermen in the head.
The Jumping Clam is a filter-feeding omnivore, sifting any bits of edible matter from the water around it. It feeds during daylight hours, closing its shell when dusk comes. Should it accidentally eat something that isn’t edible, then it will filter the object throughout its body until it’s shot out through the back. This “mini-jumping” strategy helps the clam to move to areas that are more food-rich while leaving more contaminated waters behind.
In early summer, female Jumping Clams release millions of microscopic eggs into the water, with the males releasing clouds of sperm in turn. When an egg is fertilized, it takes a few days to hatch, with very few clams surviving to adulthood. However, so many eggs get released during the mating season ensures that their population is kept stable. The infant clams take a few years to reach maturity, slowly growing larger and further developing their jumping abilities.
Behavior
The Jumping Clam is a simple creature, only acting on the basest of instincts as it goes about its daily life. Its only real concerns are finding food and avoiding predators, its nervous system unable to handle any real complex thoughts. Indeed, the Jumping Clam doesn’t even have a brain, only simple ganglia. While this low intelligence may seem like a curse, some consider it to be a blessing, as many scholars note that the clam’s simple lifestyle has kept it alive in the face of multiple invasive species migrations and climate events.
Despite the creature’s lack of intelligence, the Jumping Clam is surprisingly reactive, especially for a clam. Any perceived danger on its part leads to an inevitable leap to safety, even from stimuli such as other clams touching them. As such, there’s no way of telling when a Jumping Clam will decide when to leap, leading to many warning signs being placed near the areas where they live. The threat of a high-speed clam barreling towards someone is fairly low, but it is never zero.
Jumping Clams & Sports
While most see the Jumping Clam’s leaping abilities as unimportant or a minor annoyance, there are some that have seen the potential in making money off the clam. Originally, people would take bets on how far a clam would jump if poked with a stick, which eventually turned into which clam in a group would jump the furthest. These simple bets eventually turned into full-on competitions, eventually turning into the odd sport known simply as the Clamlympics. While it started off small, clam racing has spread to anywhere Jumping Clams can be found, with entire leagues being set up to monitor competitions.
In the Clamlympics, contestants enter their clams and compete in a varying series of contests. These range from the classic long-distance jumping to jumping through hoops to even the famous “clam jousts.” Anyone can enter the contests, all they need is to find and train a Jumping Clam. While capturing a clam is an easy enough task, training it tends to be difficult as the clam only responds to the most blunt of external stimuli, not verbal commands and the like. To those who have successfully trained their clams, they usually paint elaborate patterns on their shells, turning them into works of art. The most successful clam trainers often get their clams outfitted with a golden trim.
While the Clamlympics is often seen as little more than mindless tomfoolery, especially by those living in the more urban areas of Haven, it has attracted spectators and competitiors from all over the world. Winners of these competitions are usually awarded with some form of prize money and a clam-themed trophy, signaling their mastery over the Jumping Clam.
Notable Individuals
TBA*Scope: Imagindarium