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FAQs about Marine Snail Identification
15 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 12,
Snail ID 13, Snail ID 14,
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, | 
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Pyramid snails on Cerith Snails? 04/14/2008
Hello Guys,
<Howzit?>
I have a very successful, although unintentional, breeding
program for Cerith snails in my aquarium. For the last couple of weeks I
have seen another variety of snail riding along on many of them. They
are small white snails that meet the description of a Pyramid snail, and
sometimes a Cerith will be carting around two or three of them attached
to the front portion of its shell.
I have Zoanthids and a clam that
are all untouched and in perfect health, no snails present. None of my
corals have been touched in the least from what I can see so far. I also
breed Checkerboard Nerites and they are not bothered by them. I
understand that Pyramid snails are specific feeders, but are they this
specific? Is it possible I am seeing something other than Pyramid
snails?
<Oh yes, of a certainty>
I am not noticing an increase in
snail deaths in my aquarium at this time, as judged by an increase in
empty shells, but I have a couple of hundred Ceriths so a small change
would be difficult to detect. It's hard to tell an occupied shell from
an unoccupied one when there are so many of them.
If these do turn
out to be Pyramid Snails that are specific to my Cerith snails is there
any way to get rid of them without harming the Ceriths?
<Mmm, not
easily... but some small snail-eating fishes (e.g. wrasses, see WWM re)
might reduce and keep small snail numbers down...>
Hand removal is
impossible, there are far too many of them. Never mind, I already know
the answer to that question :)
I have a 6-line wrasse, and maybe he
is picking them off the clam but can't get to the ones on the Ceriths,
since they are primarily active after dark when the wrasse is asleep?
<Maybe...>
I have seen these snails climb the glass on occasion, but
it's not where I would look for them first if I wanted to find one.
If a picture is important to you it would be easy to obtain one, if I
knew how to use the macro on my camera. I will figure it out if need be
though, don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks in advance,
Barbra
<If
these small snails aren't causing direct trouble, I would ignore them...
there are MANY gastropod species... Most are not predaceous. Bob Fenner>
What Are These Calcareous Discs On The Live Rock? ...Nerite Snail
Egg Capsules 3/30/08
Hi Crew,
<Hi Tom, Mich here.>
Could you tell me what these small (1-2mm) gray/white discs are that
are growing all over our live rock?
<Yup.>
They're flat, hard,
round plates and can easily be popped off intact, not like the usual
coralline algae I'm familiar with.
<They are Nerite snail egg
casings. You can read more about them here:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2003/invert.htm >
The
tank is about 130G and has been set up for 3+ years. Some of the
rock has been in use 6+ years, some less than 2 years. We run a
Chaeto fuge, calcium reactor, PhosBan reactor, EV180, 2x 250W Ushio
10K MH lamps (10hrs/day) w/T5 actinic/blue. Good circulation, over
4000GPH total from 2x SeaSwirls, 2x Koralia-type powerheads, and a
chiller loop. We keep mostly SPS up high, a few small Euphyllids
placed low, and a medium fish load. Water tests as follows:
80-81
deg F
SPG 1.026
dKH 10.9
Ca 425
Mg 1320
NO2, NO3, NH3
are all consistently zero
I scrubbed several rocks clean about 2
months ago but the discs are regrowing. Seems strange that they just
started showing up about a year ago. They only grow on the live
rock, while the walls and sides of the tank grow lots of pink,
purple, and maroon coralline. I'd rather have the coralline cover
the live rock...but mostly just these discs, alga, and a little
Cyano seem to grow well on the rocks.
<All very common.>
Thanks,
<Welcome! Mich>
Tom
Re: What Are These Calcareous Discs On The Live Rock? ...Nerite
Snail Egg – 04/1/08
Capsules
Thanks Mich,
<Hi
Tom>
Let me provide a better description for you. I'm not sure
these discs are egg casings, at least they're nothing like other
snail eggs we've seen come and go.
<No they are quite different
than the gelatinous masses many other snails produce.>
They
look/feel like some kind of non-organic growth.
<Yes, they feel
very tough, almost calcium like.>
They don't have the sesame seed
shape of the Nerite egg capsules as described in the linked article.
These discs are flatter, thin, and brittle...a tiny, plate-like,
calcareous growth. Think of a miniature poker chip, but even thinner
and with a sharp edge. They're evenly spread over all areas of the
live rock...high, low, everywhere. They number in the thousands, not
just tens or hundreds.
<Yes. Your description/image appear to me
to be consistent with Nerite eggs.>
We have mostly Astraea,
Nassarius, and Ceriths. We do have a few Nerites and Stomatellas
that hitchhiked in, but not in large numbers. This morning I
couldn't find any Nerites at all. Wish I could get a better picture
for you. Do you still think these are produced by Nerites?
<Yes I
do.>
Tom
<Cheers, Mich> | 
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Baby Snail Question. Hey, I'm not a baby, I'm a Collonista! 3/30/08
Good day WWM,
<Hi Josie!>
I am writing to get an opinion on a baby
snail that I discovered in my tank this morning.
<It’s actually not a
baby/juvenile, but rather a diminutive snail species usually referred to
as a Collonista, or Mini-Turbo snail. They’re harmless and beneficial
herbivores/grazers that are mostly nocturnal, reproduce readily, stay
small (usually around 3mm), and have a characteristic pit in their
operculum (trap door at the opening of a snail). Color/pattern varies,
with some being all white like yours, while others are combinations of
white with varying amounts of mottled tan/brown/even pink markings.>
Currently, as far as snails go, I only have Nassarius, Fighting Conch,
and Margarita Snails and low and behold, I find a small, ¼?white snail
with 2 tentacles crawling on the glass this morning. I have done some
searching and found that Margarita Snails do not typically breed in
captivity;
<Not successfully, no. In addition, they’re unfortunately
cooler water species that live shortened lives in reef systems.>
..however, the shape of this baby is nowhere near the same as either the
Fighting Conch or the Nassarius Snails.
<Very true.>
I have not
added anything new to my tank in about 3 or 4 months and the tank is
over 1.5
years old now.
<Because of their size and nocturnal
nature, these little guys are often overlooked.>
The shape is very
similar to the Margarita. I have included a picture although it's not
the greatest as it's difficult to take good pictures of the tank with
the camera I have but it's the best I could do.
<That’s okay, I think
we’re good to go! For more information, please see the following links
as well as WWM’s search engine using the term “Collonista”:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snailidf14.htm
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm >
Again, thank you so much for all the great information on WWM as it's
always my first stop for information!
Josie
<Mine too! Bob and
the crew past and present have amassed a very impressive amount of
information here, and it just keeps growing! Take care and enjoy those
Collonistas, -Lynn> | 
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Flatworm Or Nudibranch... Or Maybe Not... (Not) – 03/28/08
Hello
guys,
<<Adam>>
I have an interesting creature in my tank, I've
read through the forums and search across the Internet and I cannot get
a positive ID on it (Even checked the sea slug site you guys listed as a
resource.).
<Okay>>
It resembles a Nudibranch, although the one
picture I found of something that resembles it, you guys ID'd it as a
flat worm. (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fltwmid.htm, second picture from
the top, question titled Nudibranch or Flatworm.)
<<Mmm, not a good
picture is it? Regardless…what you have is NOT a flatworm>>
Flat
worms are generally not as large as this animal is, or at least I
thought they weren't.
<<Some do get large>>
The guy is around 2 -
2.5" and only comes out at night, I have seen what seems to be
"antennae" protruding from it.
<<Yes>>
I tried several different
ways of taking the shot, one strictly with LED's, others with flashes
and/or an LED flashlight. I have attached a few shots.
<<I see
them>>
One peculiar thing I witnessed last night was a split in the
animals back.
<<Hee-hee! A clue!>>
Down the center, which opened
slightly and receded when I placed the light over him. Any ideas?
<<Indeed…see below>>
I am at a loss and don't know whether to enjoy
the little guy or eject him. I monitored him for about an hour the other
night when I saw him open up down the middle and never really saw him
feeding on anything and he stays around a rock in the tank with
Zoanthids, and a piece of orange Monti. Only thing I could guess is
filter feeding or feeding off the worms and such in/on the rock.
Thanks again,
Adam
<<Well Adam, I’ve seen a couple of these
before. What you have there is Scutus antipodes (Black Limpet, Elephant
Snail, etc.). The “split” you saw is where the mantel parted (the mantel
comes up from both sides to cover the shell on the animals back). This
critter is reputed by some to be reef safe...others to be a Cnidarian
muncher…but all seem to agree it's a good algae grazer and a prolific
breeder. Regards, EricR>> | 
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Re: Yellowhead Jawfish... Horse Conch comp.
Thank you for the
answers! I have to apologize again for asking so many questions, I did
find some more info and realized that some of them probably shouldn't
have been asked. It is just so overwhelming when you have so many
different questions and you are getting different impressions from
different sources.
<Focus... one thing... at a time>
I will
definitely look into reading those books. I still haven't bought the
Jawfish, but he is still there so I have hope! I bought 20 lbs of live
sand and some live rock, and I'm letting everything cycle. Hopefully all
will be well before he is sold. I am also preparing myself to part with
one of the crabs so I can free up some more tank space for him.
There
is one question that you didn't answer in my last email, and it was a
pretty big concern of mine. Will the horse conch try to eat the Jawfish
when he (the conch) gets to be a few inches long?
<Shouldn't, no.
Pleuroloca gigantea eats mainly other snails and bivalves>
I have
visions of the conch positioning himself over the jawfish's hole and
sticking his body down there to eat him... the way he does with the
snails he eats. I was able to get a better picture of the conch to send
to you; he wasn't being very photogenic last time. I'll attach a picture
of one of my marginellas, too. Thank you again for your time and
knowledge! :)
<Welcome! BobF> | 
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Marine Snail Identification: Likely Fighting Conch - 3/21/08
<Hi
there, Steve>
Thanks for the site. and on to my question.
<Okay,
let's get to it!>
I've had a snail in my tank since I started it back
in April of last year. I just had someone point out to me that they
thought it was a tulip snail
<Good news - it’s not!>
and that he
would eat other inverts in the tank.
<Nope, they're safe.>
I
browsed your Marine Snails FAQs and spotted something that sort of
matches my guy but not 100%. Can you give me your thoughts from the
photo??
<It looks to be a harmless/beneficial Strombid, likely
Strombus alatus, aka the “Fighting” Conch or similar. These are good
sand stirrers and mainly herbivorous, but may also take meatier fare.>
He has eye stalks and a large snout? that he pushes out whenever I see
him above the sand bed.
<That’s very typical of Fighting Conchs.
Sometimes all you’ll see are just the two eye stalks protruding out of
the sand!>
He wasn't being helpful when I took the photo..
<Heheee! Isn’t that annoying!>
Most of the time he's digging around
in the sand bed and will disappear for weeks at a time.
<Also typical
of Fighting Conchs.>
If he is in fact a Tulip Snail I have never seen
him going after other inverts. Is this something that will occur when he
increases in size??
<Nope, this little guy won’t go after your other
invertebrates/fishes - even when he's not so little! Speaking of which,
they get up to about 4" or so in length. These Strombids do, however,
need lots of open areas of DSB to survive long term.>
He doesn't
climb the live rock or tank sides. Just stays in the sand.
<Yep,
again, that's typical for these. All in all, they're neat little snails.
Please see the following sites for photos and more information
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gastroart2.htm
http://www.gastropods.com/9/Shell_1329.html (Strombus alatus)
http://www.pirx.com/gallery/mollusks >
Love the site and thanks for
you thoughts..
Steve
<You’re most welcome! Take care, -Lynn> | 
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Mystery Creature In My Reef? Scutus - 3/11/08
<Hi Aaron>
I
caught this guy in action last night and I've seen him from time to
time. One time I observed him on the glass and his mouth parts look just
like a snail's.
<Heeee – and for good reason! It *is* a
snail/Gastropod!>
What is he?
<It appears to be a species of
Scutus, aka a ”Shield Limpet”, in the family Fissurellidae. This family
also includes Keyhole and Slit Limpets. It also looks a bit like a
Chiton, but the two antennae rule out that possibility.>
Is he some
type of Nudibranch?
<No, although they’re often mistaken as such.>
Would he eat coral polyps?
<It’s possible. Scutus spp. are primarily
herbivores, but reportedly may also feed on coral tissue.>
Should I
take him out of my reef?
<It's up to you. I don’t have any personal
experience with these, but most people seem to love them. Apparently
they can be very beneficial when it comes to grazing/removing algae.>
I have a 75 gallon reef tank with tons of live rock, Zoas, mushrooms,
leathers, and LPSs
corals.
<Heeeee! You can add Scutus to the list
now as well!>
I've tried some of the more fleshy LPSs corals like
open brains and candy canes and they seemed to have their flesh
devoured.
<Yikes! Although I’ve read cautionary statements regarding
Scutus and corals, I’ve yet to read any actual accounts of coral
predation within home aquaria.>
Other LPSs corals like frog spawns,
torches, bubbles, and galaxia do fine. Could this guy be the problem or
is it more likely my flame angel?
<Hmmmm. While I can't rule out the
Scutus, based on their popularity with aquarists, it wouldn’t be my
first choice of suspects. I’d be more inclined to suspect the Flame
Angel, possibly even a Tang, or one/several of the other usual “picker”
suspects (various crabs, shrimps, etc.)>
The picture isn't the
greatest, but it's the best I could get at night.
<Understandable!
The good news is that I think we’re good to go. For more
information/photos, please see the following links:
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=scutus
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/search_results.php?category=Shells&family=FISSURELLIDAE
>
Thanks for your help!
<You’re very welcome! Take care, -Lynn>
Aaron Chandler | 
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Sundial snail babies? Hopefully harmless Collonista snails! 3/3/08
<Hi there.>
I recently found a few sundial snails in my tank.
<Yikes, hopefully not dining on your prized Zoanthids! Do you keep
Zoanthids or were these just incidental hitchhikers? Sundials only eat
Palythoa and Zoanthids, so unless you have those, they’ll simply die
out. If you do have/keep Zo's, definitely remove any Sundials you see.>
I now have many tiny, tiny snails I think could be their babies. Are
there any natural predators for these snails?
<I don’t know of any
that prey exclusively on Heliacus/Sundials, but I’m sure there are other
predators that include them in their diet. Unfortunately, it’s always
possible that the predator(s) could have a taste for more than just
Sundials (as in other beneficial invertebrates)! Complicating matters is
the fact that Heliacus are mostly nocturnal. They’re able to hide very
effectively within Zoanthid colonies during the day when snail eating
fishes are active.
Regarding those tiny snails, there’s a chance
that they might not be juvenile Sundials. There’s another very common
snail in the genus Collonista (aka “mini Turbos”) that has a similar
appearance, but is a harmless herbivore/grazer. They’re mostly
nocturnal, reproduce readily, and stay small (usually around 3mm).
Color/pattern varies, with some being all white, while others are
combinations of white with varying amounts of mottled tan/brown/even
pink markings. A sure fire way to differentiate Heliacus from Collonista
is to grab a magnifying glass and take a close look at the operculums
(the “trap door” at the opening of a snail). Heliacus have
conical/pagoda shaped operculums while Collonista’s are relatively flat
with a characteristic pit in the center. Basically, if it’s pointed,
it’s a Sundial. If not, it’s likely a harmless Collonista. I’m hoping
that you have the latter! Please see the following links for
comparison/more information:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snailidf14.htm (Collonista snails)
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php (Collonista -
operculum shown)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snailidf13.htm (Heliacus
- see pointed operculum in photos about halfway down the page)
I’ve
got my fingers crossed for you! Take care, -Lynn>
What a surprise...but what is it? Looks like snail eggs! 2/2/08
Hello WWW Crew,
<Hi there, Pat.>
Thanks for your site! I have
learned a lot from reading your answers and articles.
<Excellent!>
Starting a reef tank has been one heck of a learning
experience and even after ~2 years I am still finding new things in
my own tank and I have no idea what they are!
<Heheeee! Isn't it
amazing the things that can crawl out of a rock!>
It has led me
to purchase a microscope to examine things in new detail, some
pictures which I have included.
<Neat! Opens up a whole new
world, doesn’t it!>
My question is I found about a dozen egg
sacks on the inside of the cover of my MJ. They are a little larger
than a BB and have some white things eggs in each one and in this
one it looks like they are alive and moving. The only opening in the
MJ is the two small holes ~1/8", and the sacks are larger than the
holes. Do you know what they are? I am thinking amphipod eggs.
<Nope, not amphipod eggs. The females carry the fertilized eggs in a
brood pouch until they’re ready to hatch. What you have looks very
much like snail eggs, but I'd love to know how they got there!>
In the first picture there is a copepod in the upper right to give
you an idea of size.
<Thanks.>
In the second, just below
center is what I think is a partially developed pod. It is upright
with a black eye and a clear antenna and darker body?
<I see
that. Looks like a developing embryo – hard to tell what it is at
this point. Please see this link for photos/more information:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-02/rs/index.php.>
I guess
I can always wait and see if they develop more.
<Yes please, and
document as much as you can! I’d love to see the
progression/development!>
Both pictures are in the following
link: http://cmas-md.org/forums/showthread.php?p=305826#post305826
Please feel free to download the pictures from the link to post, I
have had problem with sending you e-mails with attachments.
<Ok,
thanks.>
Thanks for your time,
Pat
<You’re very welcome!
Take care. –Lynn> | 
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Snail Identification: Likely Horse Conch - 2/2/08
Hi all,
<Hi
Jenn!>
Just a quick thank you for all the information and first hand
knowledge you provide to SW hobbyists!
<You’re very welcome! It’s a
pleasure!>
I have searched your site for the answer to what type of
snails we have in our 75 gallon reef tank. We bought them not long after
we started our tank, a little over a year ago. They are pink bodied.
They do not seem to be aggressive on algae or other waste. I am also
including a few pictures of the snails for identification.
<Thank
you for sending multiple angles by the way, that really helps. Your
snail looks like what’s commonly called a Horse Conch, which is in the
family: Fasciolariidae. The snails in this family are predatory towards
other molluscs and will scavenge dead or dying organisms. Have you
noticed any other snails missing? Horse conchs (likely yours is in the
genus Pleuroploca/Triplofuscus) range in soft body color from orange to
a dark red. Please see the snail at this link, just past halfway down
(Florida Horse Conch) for comparison:
http://h2ocreatures.com/mollusks.html .>
We are looking to continue
to build our reef with additional LR and also want to get a hardworking
cleanup crew. Suggestions would be great.
<Sorry, would need to know
what other livestock you have, what type of clean-up you need.>
Thanks for your help!
Jenn H Central PA
<You’re very welcome! Take
care. –Lynn> | 
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