|
|
FAQs about Marine Snail Identification
12 Related Articles:
Gastropods, Sea Slugs, Mollusks, Abalone,
Related FAQs: Snail ID 1,
Snail ID 2, Snail
ID 3, Snail ID 4,
Snail ID 5, Snail ID 6,
Snail ID 7, Snail ID 8,
Snail ID 9, Snail ID 10,
Snail ID 11, Snail ID 13,
Snail ID 14, Snail ID 15,
Snail ID 16, Snail ID 17,
Snail ID 18,
Snail ID 19, Snail ID 20, & Marine Snails 1, Marine
Snails 2, Marine Snails 3,
Invertebrate ID, Snail Behavior,
Snail Selection, Snail Compatibility,
Snail Systems, Snail Feeding,
Snail Disease, Snail Reproduction,
Mollusks, Sea Slugs, Abalone, | 
|
IDs please - Parasitic snail and goby - 10/11/07
Hello
<Hi
John.>
I posted the following on another website and was told to
send it to this email address for identification. Found this little
"parasitic snail" on my Turbo the other day. It appears to have
eaten a chunk of the Turbo's shell to fit. I have never seen it move
from this location. Appears to eat algae off the glass. Hard to get
clear pictures when it's out. Any ideas what it may be?
<There
are a number of parasitic and boring snails, that live in mollusks
and echinoderms and sometimes eventually kill them. Family
Pyramidellidae has some of these species. A more definite ID is
likely only possible (if possible at all), when you take the
parasitic snail out of the tank. I’d try to get rid of it anyway.>
Also if you could tell me the type of Goby this is it would be great
to.
<Most certainly a Amblyeleotris sp., probably Amblyeleotris
macronema, but there are several similar species. See fishbase, e.g.
http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Photos/PicturesSummary.cfm?ID=47043&what=species
and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/shrimpgobies.htm. Will need an
Alpheid prawn to be happy and share its home with.>
Thank you for
your time. John.
<You are welcome. Marco.> |  
|
|
Stomatella varia Id - 10/7/07
<Hello there>
I hope today finds
you all well and happy
<Very much so, thanks!>
and I am so
grateful, ahead of time, for your knowledge. :)
<Thanks, a good
portion of that knowledge I picked up right here at WWM! How may I help
you today?>
This showed up today in my extra refugium growth tank.
It's only got 2 kinds of algae I hand-picked to grow in there, copepods,
all kinds of living small things, some coral banded shrimp (2)
<Will
prey on a lot of those “small things”.>,
some hermits (4)
<Ditto>
one Chiton, and now what looks like a sea slug juvenile.
<It does look a lot like one, doesn’t it? Heee…but it’s not!>
I
looked everywhere. The closest thing I can find is Oxynoe Viridis,
however I'd like a second opinion...here are the images, embedded and
attached.
<What you've got there is actually a beautiful little
Stomatella varia snail, a harmless and beneficial little grazer.>
He
came in some algae I bought. I have a whole aquarium of it growing for
refugium use. He is about 1/3 inch long, very hard to see all of him,
and he's very small...probably a juvenile. He just showed up tonight.
<Understandable - he would blend in very well within a clump of green
macroalgae! That camouflage helps protect him from becoming a tasty
snack, and unfortunately, if one of those coral banded shrimp or a
hermit get hold of him, he will be.>
Is he poisonous, dangerous, a
trouble-causer, or anything I need to worry about
<Absolutely not.>
or is he a safe little guy to keep?
<Very much so - he’s one of the
good guys! Stomatellids are herbivorous, mostly nocturnal, vary greatly
in color (hence the specie name: “varia”), and can move quite rapidly
for a snail!>
Please help me identify this thing. He's so cute!
<He is, isn’t he?>
Thank you ahead of time. :)
<You’re most
welcome! For more information, please see the following links. The
second listed is WWM’s search engine. Simply enter the genus:
“Stomatella”, and you will be rewarded with a plethora of links and
information!
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm >
Here he is blurred, before taking him out and putting him into a bowl,
next to airline tubing.
<Yep, there he is, cruising along.>
Here
is a drawing I made of him while he's moving. He isn't as pudgy as he
looks in the first photos.
<Well, you know what they say about the
camera adding ten pounds! <G> In fact, they really are beautifully
streamlined little critters.>
Here he is, enhanced, and enlarged in a
bowl, but he's got some beige underneath, and what looks like 2 horns in
front and maybe some horns on the side?
<Those are little sensory
antennae in front. By the way, nice photo! Take care and enjoy your new
addition! -Lynn> |
|
What Is This...A Worm, Coral, Pest, Any Clue? – 10/06/07
This
thing emits strings of mucous, which it periodically releases into
the current. It acts like a tubeworm and when I touch it, it goes
into its shell, and its orange head almost penetrates the tip of
that shell, but never more than about a quarter-inch. I can see what
look like hairs in there, but they never extend. It sends out mucous
when I feed the fish/corals brine shrimp. Any clue what this is?
<<Yes, not a worm, coral, or pest but rather a type of mollusk…Is a
Vermetid Snail…a beneficial detritivore>>
It just grew there.
<<Indeed>>
I can't find it in any books.
Thanks!
<<Try a
keyword search of our site/the Net. Regards, EricR>> |
Oh Mich.... ID Spirorbis spp. and possibly Collonista spp.. Now
small snails – 09/29/07
<Hi Melissa!>
I am still battling
the horrific red hair algae
<Will take time. Keep on plugging.>
but noticed something else today. I have baby snails. TONS and TONS
of them. At least I think that is what they are. They appear as tiny
white dots and are conspicuously shaped like @.
<The white dots
shaped like @ are spiral tube feather dusters (Spirorbis spp.). They
are harmless filter feeders surviving on dissolved nutrients in the
tank. Nothing to be concerned about.>
My 5 snails that I
purchased are Astraea snails. There are literally hundreds of these
little things on my glass. If they all mature god help me.
<They
may already be mature.>
I will attach some pics. I do have a few
that are a little larger but is there anything I can do about them?
<Likely you won’t need to do anything about them.>
I even
considered trying to sell them to LFS. Sorry the pics aren't the
best I had to use super macro mode and still place the lens to the
glass. Then once again zoom and crop.
<These are fine. You did a
good job.>
They are so small look more like specks of dust. I got
to looking and the little buggers are all OVER the place, LR, glass,
sand. Literally all over.
<Reproduction junction? Heehee!>
Funny I am so anal about my water quality and apparently nothing
else if it is just fine
<Heehee! We've all be guilty of tunnel
vision.>
for the snails that is assuming they are snails. Funny
thing the adults I purchased have only been in there about a month.
<Although it is possible, I don't think these are babies. I am more
inclined to think these are some sort of very tiny snail species,
possibly (hopefully) mini Turbos (Collonista spp.) which would be a
beneficial addition to your tank. Mini Turbos primarily graze on
diatoms and microalgae.>
Cheers,
Mich>
Melissa
Oh Mich.... ID Spirorbis spp. and possibly Collonista spp. –
09/29/07
Mich~
<Hi again Melissa!>
After doing some
reading I can only come to the same conclusion. I am assuming they
came in with the Aragalive or the LR.
<My guess would be the
LR.>
Meaning they have been in there for months but I am just now
noticing them.
<Good likelihood!>
So typical.
<Heehee!>
I was worried my temperature spike had prompted some type of
spawning event.
<This is not unheard of, but not likely to be
the case here as it would likely take longer for the snails to
develop to this stage.>
Good lord I was scared. Hehehehe
<Nothing to fear... Underdog is here... OK Underdog isn't here, but
I don't think you have anything to worry about here. You definitely
have no worries with the Spirorbis. But there are some small
predatory snails, but I don't think this is what you have.>
Thanks again,
<Welcome, happy to help! Mich>
Melissa |  
|
Help ID This Snail Or Whelk!!!!...Umm, Is A Conch! – 09/26/07
Hi
guys!
<<Hey Amie!>>
I absolutely love your site!
<<Thanks! Is
quite the collective effort>>
Okay, here's my problem, I don't know
what this creature is.
<<I believe I do…>>
We found him and many,
many others while snorkeling in the Gulf of Mexico this past week, some
quite large.
<<Indeed>>
Actually, to give a precise area, on the
bay side of Cape San Blas, Florida.
<<Yes, this animal can be found
along all of Florida’s coast…and beyond>>
We brought 5-6 of them home
(each one approx. 2 inches long) b/c we thought that they were Turbos.
<<Not even close I’m afraid>>
(I know, not very smart) So now we are
nervous as we don't know if these guys are a danger to our fish or reef.
<<Not so much to healthy fish…but are a danger, yes>>
Does anyone
know what exactly these guys are? Some sort of whelk, snail, or conch?
<<Is the latter…more specifically, the Crown Conch (Melongena corona).
These gastropods are carnivorous…and while they would do a good job
cleaning up dead/dying animals and leftover meaty foodstuffs, they will
also prey on your other snails, substrate biota, and possibly sessile
invertebrates as they will surely not get enough to eat as they grow too
large for your system>>
Thanks so much for ANY help, it is greatly
appreciated.
Kindest Regards,
Amie
<<Is a pleasure to assist.
Eric Russell>> | 
|
What Is This!?! Nerite Snail Egg Capsules 9/10/07
Ok.. I have a
90g tank.. and just moved across town.. and set up all my
rock/sand/water in new 90g tank with built in overflow...well...
needless to say the move made my tank angry.
<I'm sorry your tank is
upset.>
and I am now getting over the wave of algae that happened..
but I am finding a large amount of rust colored flat worms
<So long
as they are not too big, they are generally beneficial detritivores.>
(which I am taking care of)
<???>
and alot
<This is not a
word. Should be “a lot”. I mention just for Bob, as it is one of his pet
peeves… Right RMF? ;) >
of these white hard disks I don't know where
they came from if they are related to the rust flatworms, or if they are
a parasite or not.. take a look and let me know please. As I said they
are hard, white and cannot be siphoned off of the rock.
<These are
completely harmless Nerite Snail egg capsules, nothing to worry about.
You can read more about them here:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2003/invert.htm
Hope your
tank gets happier! Mich> | 
|
Scutus pics 9/5/07
Hi,
<Make me smile>
If there are any
Scutus fans out there, here are some fun pics I took of one of mine. :)
Best,
Sara
<What did the Incredible Mr. Limpet say? Thrum!!! BobF> |  
|
New little snail's ID needed... Possibly Heliacus snails – 08/31/07
<Greetings, Mich here.>
I have see a bunch of what I thought were
baby snails. After 3 days of reading your site and doing Google searches
I'm beginning to worry that they may be Heliacus areola.
<Sure do
look like it I'm afraid, could be something else. Heliacus snails have a
small pagoda shaped operculum (trap door). You will need to check for
this as there is not this much detail in the photos.>
I would be
internally <Externally too? Heehee!> grateful if you could give me a
positive ID. The first picture is from top it is about 1/4" in size. The
second picture is from under side. I will include links to 2 short
video's 50sec each. In hopes that you can get a better view. If you
think they are Heliacus areola would you please tell me how to rid my
little 10 gal tank of them.
<In my world there are picker and
non-pickers... hopefully you are a picker if Heliacus is indeed what you
have. Manual removal is about the only option in this size tank... But
at least it's only a ten gallon tank!>
My Zoo's seem fine. And these
snail's stay out all day and seem to be feeding on algae on the tank
glass and rocks.
<Mmm, may not be Heliacus sp., as these are
typically nocturnal.>
I know there are 8 but with the magnifying
glass it looks like I have 100+ or these things.
<Yikes!>
If they
are good snails I should be able to get some of my money back from my
LFS.
<Yeaah... Good luck with that! Mich>
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa92/emccullough1/?action=view¤t=810aed0e.flv
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa92/emccullough1/?action=view¤t=6ccd02a0.flv | 
|
Snail ID – Possible Collonista Snail – 8/24/07
Good Morning WWM
Crew!
<Good Morning Rusty, Brenda here>
Thank you for the
tremendous resource that you provide to the community. I can't count the
number of hours I've spent reading your marine pages. Often just for
pleasure.
<Thank you! Glad you find it helpful and enjoyable!>
My
tank is a 55g (w/20g sump/refugium) that hosts soft corals, two
Ocellaris, a Royal Gramma, some crabs, and soon a Coral Beauty after she
finishes her five weeks in fish-jail (quarantine).
<Keep an eye on
the Coral Beauty. This fish has been known to nip on coral.>
My
problem started a couple of months ago after I brought home some live
rock from a local aquarium being dismantled. The other tank was 4 years
old and the rock fully cured. I should have quarantined the rock, but I
didn't think about it. I think the rock hosted a few of these snails.
<This is not uncommon, and not necessarily a problem. Quarantine
however, is always recommended.>
The snails are small, the largest of
the group less than a quarter inch in diameter. They are brown and
white, with the pattern often appearing like stripe radiating from the
"point" in the shell. They only seem to come out at night. At first,
there were only a few. I picked them off when I saw them. Now, there is
an explosion of the critters. The smallest are white and the size of a
pin-head.
My pictures have been blurry at best. With this
description, can you guess what they might be?
<I can guess.>
Are
they merely a pest or something dangerous?
<Possibly neither.>
Is
there a way to trap them or perhaps something that might like them for
lunch?
<Let us first try to figure out what you have. These may
actually be a benefit to your tank. The first thing that comes to my
mind is a Collonista snail. These are the good guys and are known to
reproduce rapidly. More information here:
http://www.projectdibs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219. It may also be a
Sundial Snail, these are the bad guys:
http://www.thesea.org/reef_aquarium/pests/pests_snails.php. I’m guessing
that you have Collonista snails and you will want to keep them.>
Kind
regards,
Rusty
<Hope this helps! Brenda>
Re: Snail Identification
7/25/07
Good morning from Alabama, Brenda.
<Hello Rusty!>
Thank you for the very quick reply!
<You’re very welcome!>
From
the pictures, it looks very much like the link you gave me from Project
Dibs. It appears that they could be beneficial.
<That is great news!>
I really don't have any algae problem, but I do have a bit of green
bubble macro that I enjoy seeing in the tank.
I hate to bring up
anything negative, but you might want to be careful with that second
link. It triggered my antivirus with the VBS.gaggle.d scripting
virus/worm. Someone may have placed something ugly on that page. Digital
Aiptasia, maybe? :)
<Yikes!!!! Thank you for pointing that out!
Digital Aiptasia? LOL Great Description!>
Thank you again for your
selfless service! :)
<You’re welcome! Good luck with your tank!
Brenda>
Kind regards,
Rusty
Invasion of the isopods? – 8/19/07
A couple of questions
tonight...
1. Saw these over the past couple days after the full
lighting switches off. Just ID'd a Bristleworm from WWM, but its a
fairly small one, so he's (she's?) safe for now. But these little
guys have me a little more worried, just because of the sheer number
of them! Trap like a 1920's era pelter, or not quite yet?
<From
the picture in the other email its a Stomatella snail. Love those
things, completely safe and wonderful to watch. You'll enjoy them.
You have a bunch because you have a bunch of algae, if you want to
get rid of them send them to me. Mine are all gone.>
2. My tank
is going through some troubles right now (46G FOWLR) due to the
water temperature being out of control, and I've been trying to get
that back in order. Our house doesn't have AC (it will next year!),
and we've just gone through 4 weeks of 30C weather which has raised
the average temperature to around 84F. I have a fan blowing across
the surface of the water, and I've dialed back the 10000k light a
couple hours a day. Any other suggestions? <I've been known to take
fresh water that has had prime added to it and put it in the ice
cube maker and after it freezes add it to the tank. I've also known
people to put the ice cubes in baggies so the water can't get out
but I prefer to put the prime in it because I figure I'm dealing
with a lot of evaporation anyway. Good luck, MacL>
Thanks!
Sean | 
|
Critter ID – Gastropod Egg Mass – 08/07/07
Hi WWM Crew –
<<Hiya Bob>>
Long time visitor and fan!!
<<Excellent>>
After
searching the photos and snail/critter forum I didn't find anything
describing the "thing" that appeared on the front glass of my 220gl reef
tank overnight.
<<Oh? Looks to be snail eggs to me>>
I have not
added any new livestock in two years with the exception of a clean-up
crew restock about 4 weeks ago (50 Nerites, 50 Nassarius, 50 Cerith
snails, 50 Blue Leg Crab, 4 Serpent Stars). This morning when I went to
do my normal tank check, this worm looking thing was stuck to the front
glass. I'm assuming worm or snail eggs?
<<Is the latter...looks to me
to be an egg mass from a Cerith Snail>>
The lights (1100wts total)
have been on full for 3 hours and this thing hasn't moved.
<<And it
won’t...on its own>>
I couldn't get a clean picture even with macro
zoom.
<<The picture was “good enough” in this instance>>
It is
approx 2" X 2" in overall area on glass but this thing is curled up in a
bunch of "s" shapes so it would be much longer straightened out.
Tank
population is:
1 Hippo Tang
1 Foxface
1 Koran Angel
Pair of
Maroon Clowns (which have displayed mating behaviors in the past)
1
Blue Devil
1 Yellowtail Damsel
1 Strawberry Dottyback
Thanks
for any assistance!
Bob
<<Happy to help. EricR>> |
|
|
|
