another snail ID

jhildebrand

New member
reef safe? have about a dozen and they seem to reproduce - isolated from the main display. thank you...

tankleak007.jpg


tankleak008.jpg
 
Yep, it's a true whelk, either a subadult Cantharus, or Pollia, or Gemophos species, depending on who's assigning the genus. If it's from Florida or the Caribbean, it's probably Gemophos tinctus.

http://www.jaxshells.org/gtinc.htm

If it's from the Pacific, it's probably Pollia undosa.

http://www.gastropods.com/8/Shell_798.html

Can't really tell from your pics whether the shell has the white dashes. P. undosa may have some lighter color between the ribs, but won't have white dashes.

They're predatory, of course, on snails and/or barnacles, and maybe on worms.

Cheers,



Don
 
Thank you :)

Any truth to their rep for eating clams? They're a planned future addition. Also curious if they're okay in a sump/refugium or if it's not worth them finding their way upstream. I haven't removed one from the display for over a year.
 
Some whelks will eat clams, but I've never seen that species (assuming it's the Indo-Pacific one) eating clams, even though they may occur in the same areas. I don't think I'd keep one in the tank with my baby maxima, in any case.

Cheers,



Don
 
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