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FAQs about Marine Snail Identification
7 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 8, Snail ID 9,
Snail ID 10, Snail ID 11,
Snail ID 12, Snail ID 13,
Snail ID 14, Snail ID 15,
Snail ID 16, Snail ID 17,
Snail ID 18,
Snail ID 19, Snail ID 20, &
Invertebrate ID, & Marine Snails 1, Marine
Snails 2, Marine Snails 3,
Snail Behavior, Snail Selection,
Snail Compatibility, Snail Systems,
Snail Feeding, Snail Disease,
Snail Reproduction, Mollusks, Sea
Slugs, Abalone,
Tulips on my Organ Pipe Coral? | 
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Snail ID 3/28/07
Sorry. I forget to attach the pics. These
are the pictures. It's a bit blur.
Hope you don't mind.
<Pics are blurry, but my guess would be same as yours, a Cerithium.>
Thanks.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> |  
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Snail ID - 3/27/07
Hello everyone.
<Hey Elaine, JustinN with
you today.>
Can you please tell me what this is?
<I'll give it
a shot, for sure!>
Sorry the photo's are not good I am new to
cameras.
<No worries>
I found this thing in my small cube reef
tank. I have attached quite a few photos because he looks so different
in shape in 1 photo to another. Only way to describe him is he looks
like a slug with a hump and 2 antennas. On 1 photo he looks like a
torpedo shape but on the other he seems to have a slug looking
appearance. He is quite rough looking and stone in colour with a hint of
green on his back. Is he safe to leave in my reef tank or dose he need
to go?
If he is safe what do I feed him on? Any advice is much
appreciated thanks for your time.
Elaine
<Say hello to your
new Stomatella varia snail, my friend! These are very common hitchhikers
on live rock, beneficial detritivores, happily munching away on your
wastes and algae! No supplemental feeding is necessary, nor concern. He
will be a perfect citizen, and may even produce a few more friends!
-JustinN> | 
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Re: Snail ID 3/27/07
Justin thanks ever so much for the reply I
am so glad he can stay. By the way I think I have 3 of them so
hopefully they can all become buddies. now I can get back to enjoying
watching my tank instead of worrying about these things. Ugly though
they are.
Thanks again Elaine
<Anytime, Elaine. This is what
we're here for, and we're glad to help! -JustinN> |
Re: A Strange Invader? Nah, Just Normal Reproduction. – 03/17/07
<Hi Deb! Mich with you again.>
Eggs? They certainly don't look like
eggs, but I know you're the expert - so I'll take your word for it!
Guess I thought of eggs as little round things, not a series of little
lines in a swirly pattern... go figure! :-)
<Sometimes round,
sometimes not.>
Thanks for your prompt reply, as usual! What would
us newbies do without you guys?? :-)
<You're most welcome. Glad
you find us helpful. -Mich>
-Deb
What are these? Worm Snails / Vermetid Snails 3/7/07
Hello,
<Hi Cindy, Mich here.>
My husband and I have
inherited a 30-gallon salt water aquarium.
<Welcome to the briny
world.>
Being beginners, we are making our best effort to do
this right and your site has been very helpful.
<Glad to hear
this. I would also recommend a book by Robert M. Fenner titled "The
Conscientious Marine Aquarist. It is an excellent book, especially
for a beginner, but belongs on the shelf of every saltwater
hobbyist, in my opinion.>
We have these growths all over the
living rock and coral, they are circular and seem to have a semi
hard coating or shell. Some are very dark in color and others are
light brown, and some have a portion that grows out. I have looked
and searched and can't seem to find anything that matches. Do you
know what they are and will they do any harm ?
<Yes they are
actually sessile snails, commonly called worm snails or Vermetid
snails. They are beneficial filter feeders, but be careful, as
their calcareous tubes can be quite sharp and cause painful
punctures or cuts when brushed up against.>
Thank You Very Much
for Your Time,
<You are very welcome, my pleasure to
serve. Mich>
Cindy Boyd | 
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Snail ID: Possibly Sundial snail (Heliacus sp.) 3/3/07
Good
Afternoon,
<Good Morning I guess! Mich here.>
While having
coffee this morning I observed a moving speck, which turns out to be a
snail.
<What good eye you must have!>
At present my aquarium
houses two Astraea and three Turbos. Also there have been no recent
additions in the last three months to account for recent hitchhiking.
The shell on which the snail is perched is app. 1"x1 1/2" to give some
idea of scale. Thanks in advance for any information,
<Hmm, Is a bit
small, but does look an awful lot like a Heliacus snail, which are
predatory on Zoanthids and typically nocturnal. Do you have any
Zoanthids in your system that are experiencing any difficulty? See this
page, next to the penny: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polypdisfaqs.htm Heliacus
snails have a small pagoda shaped operculum (trap door) this may help
with identification. Hopefully is not a Sundial snail (Heliacus
sp.)! -Mich>
Jane | Re:
snail id: Possibly Sundial snail (Heliacus sp.) 3/4/07
Mich and crew,
<Hi Jane! Mich with you again.>
Thank you for
the link to the image--the wee bugger in my tank bears a striking
resemblance to the Heliacus.
<Not good.>
Unfortunately, due
to its small size and my lack of x-ray vision, the operculum was/is
too small to see.
<Magnifying glass?>
Difficulty
with Zoanthids is now past tense--little left but a rock and red
stubs.
<Uh oh!>
But, thanks to you, I can see the light--now
if I can only see the snail(s) again...
<Hee!>
Regards to
all,
<And to you and yours. -Mich>
Jane |
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Identification question 3/25/06
Good Afternoon Crew,
Please could you offer me an opinion as to what my latest 'clean up
crew' purchase is? It was sold as a 'Red
Sand Sifting Conch',
but doesn't look like the ones in a Marine World article this month
as the shell is more pointed. After looking around the old FAQs and
info pages, Strombus alatus, the strangely named 'Florida fighting
conch' looks the best match - but what do you think.
<This is
almost assuredly what this is>
Apologies for the slightly
bleached out pictures. Thank you in advance.
Bob Mehen,
Cornwall, England
<"What's in a name?" Bob Fenner> | 
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Trouble ID'ing snail and what is it doing exactly? 3/4/06
One of the members of my site has this snail. I think it may be a type
of Mitra species.
<Does look like...>
I'm trying to get a
positive ID.
<Okay... Mitra mitra... common, and big in HI>
Also, what exactly is it doing?
<Eating or regurgitating a
Polychaete worm... the bristles knocked off... looks like more of the
latter>
I've seen this snail in a normal appearance with a normal
foot, but what is this behavior below. Once again, thanks for a great
site to help us fellow enthusiasts.
I've attached the 4 pictures,
seen pasted below, to be sure you receive them.
Steve
<Thanks.
Bob Fenner> |  
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An id of snail please... The Amazing Mollusk Kreskin!
2/24/06
Hey hey!
<For horses, horses>
Wait until you hear
this! I went to a local LFS today not my regular LFS) to have a look at
his livestock. He had one tank with about 8 assorted butterflies in it.
2 of the butterflies (beautiful ones which i had never seen before) were
cowering in the corner and not moving.
<Very common for the
"miscellaneous", "assorted" category...>
There was a Bannerfish
picking at one of the cowering b's and he was not even flinching.
<A
"goner">
Every one of the butterflies, except the cowering ones,
were shaking incessantly. Almost like convulsions.
<Trouble>
In
another tank, he had a magnificent 10 inch Queen Angel which was on the
verge of death swimming upside down and hitting the glass.
<How do
such folks stay in business?>
I asked a salesperson to come over
because i wanted to buy a court jester goby which appeared very healthy.
<I hope you were court jestering... I would make like splitsville from
such shops>
When he came over i asked about the sick fish and he
said that it was because they hadn't had time to change the water!! I
have a question regarding a snail in my tank which came with the LR. It
has a diamond shaped shell and it doesn't appear to have any mouth apart
from a small trunk protruding out from the front of the shell. What does
this one eat?
<... you're still jestering? Please see WWM re
Gastropod IDs:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marinvind1.htm
No way to tell what you're
referring to w/o an image. Bob Fenner> Re: id of
snail please - 02/25/06
You're funny! I can't find
anything in all those FAQs and every time i type what i want in the
Google search-well it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack to
get what i want. The volume of info is too massive for a specific
question.
<... your question is not specific...>
Besides, it
would have taken you less words to write "i think this snail eats
............." , than to direct me to that enormous amount of info. I
just want to know what it is eating through that trunk thing.
<...
have no idea... how would anyone know with the information presented?
Again, please send along a photograph... Bob Fenner>
The Incredible (Mr.) Limpet 2/24/06
I've recently noticed
this small oval something in my 55 gal reef tank. It is green in
color and comes to a point in the center, almost like a
mountain. It typically stays in the same spot, but I recently
noticed it moving about. I've looked over your website to try to
find something that looks similar, but no luck. Any help would be
appreciated.
<An archaeogastropod... of benefit. Bob Fenner> | 
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Snail id 2/8/06
I have a snail Id question. I don't
have a pic because my digital camera apparently sucks for taking pics of
stuff in my aquarium.
<?>
These appear to be carnivorous snails,
I noticed them a couple of weeks ago on the glass and live rock and saw
them again tonight feasting on the corpse of an unidentified species of
hermit crab. They are about the size of a grain of rice (a couple are a
bit bigger), they have oblong cigar shaped shells that are tan/white
striped. They have a proboscis and small antennae, they almost remind me
of a small Nassarius but the shells are definitely not the same shape or
color. They don't appear to be attacking living organisms. Do you have
any idea what this might be? I've counted 3 or 4 of them so
far( their numbers do not seem to be increasing).
Thanks in advance
for your always helpful advice.
<Please see here:
http://www.google.com/custom?q=Snail+id+marine&sitesearch=wetwebmedia.com
Bob Fenner>
Snail ID 2/3/06
Hello Crew,
<Roger>
I’m
on your website every day – several times a day, in fact – hungry to
learn more about the new and interesting little creatures I find
crawling, swimming, jumping, popping, and sliding around my our
newly cycled 150. I’m
going to have to pick up “The
Conscientious Aquarist” from somewhere…sounds like an exceptionally
great resource to have on hand.
<Is worthwhile... if I don't
(and don't) mind stating so myself>
My question is regarding a
little stowaway snail I found last night as I was placing new some
live rock with some lovely softies attached. I’d really like to know
what he is. He is about ¼” from tip to tip; his picture is attached.
Currently he’s still in QT, until I know more about him. Hopefully
he’s benign, and not some species of bivalve killer because he
certainly is beautiful (the picture hardly does him justice), and we
would like to put some captive-bred (Tridacna spp.) clams in the
live sand in the near future.
<Mmm, I would remove this
animal... perhaps a member of the Fasciolariidae...:
http://www.google.com/custom?q=tulip+snail+family&sitesearch=wetwebmedia.com
Too likely to be predaceous here>
Tank parameters:
Size: 150
gallons XH (LWH: 48” x 24” x 30”)
Live Rock: 80 lb (so far);
intend to reach about 150 lbs total.
Lighting: 2 x 250W Metal
Halide, 4 x 96W Actinic, 4 LED “moon lights” on
Dawn/Midday/Dusk
cycle – 2 hours dawn/dusk; 9 hour midday.
Filtration: Coralife
220 SuperSkimmer
Circulation: 3 x MaxiJet 1200 on a wave timer
Specific Gravity: 1.023
Temp: 76F (early morning) – 79F (when
metal halides shut down)
dKH: 9
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ammonia/Ammonium: 0
Inhabitants:
4 hermit
crabs
6 Astrea Snails
1 Orange Skunk Clown
4 Green
Chromis
1 (as yet unseen) Pistol Shrimp or Mantis…I’m going to
put out some food and
watch this weekend to hopefully confirm an
ID.
1 unknown banded “telescoping” worm that lives under one of
the rocks
<Heee! Likely harmless... Ophiuroid>
4 colonies of
Green Star Polyps (Pachyclavularia sp)
1 colony of Zoanthids
2 Anthelia colonies
1 Colt (Alcyonium sp.)
2 Mushroom
colonies (Discosoma sp.)
Thanks,
Rog
<Bob Fenner> | 
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Stomatella Snail? - 02/03/06
I spotted a creature that has a
shell shaped like what are called turkey wing Arca. It is a snail with
what looks like a bivalve shell. The creature is about 0.5 inch long
and about 0.25 from foot to the highest point off substrate. The shell
is patterned and structured like the turkey wing shell but this creature
is mobile. It was on the glass last night grazing in a patch of
algae. Color was somewhat brown somewhat darker than one of my Astrea
snails. Foot was thin and very white. Any ideas?
<<Likely this is
a Stomatella snail, a Google search re will easily confirm. These are
beneficial snails, and about as "reef safe" as snails get. Regards,
EricR>>
Questionable snail... 1/25/06
Hey everyone,
<Chris>
Thank you for spending your valuable down time answering questions
for the masses. Yesterday I noticed a strange looking snail in my
130 gal reef. I have attached a couple pics, but as the bigger
snail of the 2 is only 1/2" long it is a difficult shot. The shells
look like a web pattern...rather, there are little holes all over
the shell, making it look like a web, or a net. It looks like the
snail deposits little dots of calcium, etc. to make each successive
layer around the shell. (did that make any sense?) Anyway, thanks
again for the great site, and for spending your free-time helping
others.
Have a great day!
-Chris
<Mmm, looks like a
member of the Family Fasciolariidae... See the Net re. Bob Fenner> |  
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Snail Id 1/16/06
Hi,
My reef tank is recently having a
population explosion of these guys.
They are about 1-2mm across. Can
you help me to id them? Are they sun
dials?
<Mmm, can't tell if
this is a neritid, turbinid or torched from the one pic (need to show
obverse, the other side, as well)... but if all stay small as you state,
I would guess the first family. Bob Fenner>
Thanks.
Chee Thong | 
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Snail ID - Look
For Lynn - Webmail Problems - 01/09/2005
I was told you are
good at IDs on snails.
<Mm, *I'm* not, but I know who is. The
reason I've received this email is because our webmail system has
delivered your email to us sans the "tray" that allows us the
ability to respond. For some completely unknown and bizarre reason,
my particular system is able to still show this tray, thus, I'm the
one to respond to your email. The bad part, here, is that I'm not
so "up" on marine snails. However, in our forums (WetWebFotos.com),
there is a user named "Lynn" who is fabulous at IDing odd things - I
heartily encourage you to join our forums and start a thread in the
Marine Invertebrates section. Lynn typically has some good links up
her sleeves to help you find the ID of your mystery critter.>
I
have had no luck on Reef Central. Here it is:
<Excellent
photos, my friend.>
Thanks, -Gabriel
<All the best to
you, -Sabrina> |
Two lips on |
Unidentifiable snail and
conch - 01/03/2006
Hi,
I have received two different
types of Gastropods that I have no idea what they really are. The common
name for them here in Canada... are:
lipstick conch, which after
many hours of searching the net, came up with this: Conomurex luhuanus.
Is this a "reef" safe and invertebrate safe species?
<This Strombid
rates highly on "reef safeness">
I have a 90 gal tank. 75lbs LR and
3" sand bed. The other one is an Orange spotted sand snail. It's quite
large - 3"
long. I found a pic of it on your site: You didn't seem
to know what it was from this pic, but I'm hoping you've got more info
as of today :-)
(ever hopeful...)
<Mmm, your pix, description
didn't come through... Have no idea what you're referring to>
thanks
so much for you wonderful people especially helping us "newbies" out.
all the best in this new year,
Marc
<Bob Fenner>
Nassarius Snail? - 12/06/05
Hello,
<<Howdy>>
I have had my
55 gallon saltwater tank now for over 3 years and I haven't added any
live rock or anything to the tank in over a year and a half. Today I
noticed two small snails (about 3/4 of an inch long) with a cone style
shell and what looks like a long "nose" protruding from between their
tiny antennae. They are milky white in color and the shell is the same.
They move
fairly quickly...much faster than the snails that I have in
the tank (Margarita and Astrea). What are these little guys? Thanks in
advance!
Dave
<<From your description they sound like a species of
Nassarius snail. Try doing a keyword search re same on our web site and
beyond. regards, EricR>> Unidentified snail 11/28/05
Dear WWM team,
<Gary, did not find picture attached. If you have
Kodak software, it is easy to resize pictures for email. If so, I can
tell you how to do it. James (Salty Dog)>
Firstly thank you for
response to my last question about three weeks ago regarding some worms
under my magnet. My mind was put to rest.
However can you guy's
assist in identifying another mystery introduction a snail to my FOWLR
system? I have checked the pictures on both the Marine Snail pages and
Snail ID pages to no avail. Also I could not find it in my 'Marine
Invertebrates' guide. Although I don't think this is a Cone shell I
would just like to be on the safe side!
It arrived on live rock. It
started off as a tiny spec but has grown over the months to it's current
size approximately 5mm wide by 10mm in length (see attached picture to
assist with the ID. I am not very good with reducing pictures in respect
of kilobytes so I apologize in advance) but did crop it to get in close.
It is white in colour with black broken lines running down it's length.
Most of it's time is spent tucked out of sight. It is very attractive
and if not going to cause injury to my fish or me then I would like to
keep it.
Many thanks for your help with this query and for the
magnificent service you provide. Without question a superb site.
Kind
regards from a cold London.
Gary Kreeger Re: Unidentified
Snail/ earlier e-mail sent without pic 11/28/05
Dear WWM
Whoops, I forgot to add the picture after all that!
<Gary, based on
the blurry picture I'd have to say it is probably a Cerith snail which
are reef safe. James (Salty Dog)>
Sorry
<No problems but do learn
to downsize as it takes time to download a file of this size (especially
for us souls who are using phone modems) and also takes up unnecessary
room on our system. James (Salty Dog)>
Gary Kreeger
London
Re: Unidentified Snail/ reply 11/29/05
Dear James (Salty
Dog)
<Gary>
Thank you for your reply and good news that I will not
have to turf the little fellow out. I appreciate the Kodak software
suggestion and offer of help if I need it. I do have that software so
will try and work it out first, then if have problems can come to you.
<Keep in mind what I said..."appears to be", being the pic has a lack of
detail. I'll help you out anyway in the resizing. Right click the pic
you want to resize, click edit, click save as, click resize and select
best for web, create a folder in same window such as "marine pics", save
pic in that folder. When attaching the pic, just go to that file and
select. James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks again.
<You're welcome>
Kind
regards
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