Dwarf Seahorses
New member
I heard that bumblebee snails can cause problems for clams and SPS, is this true or are they a harmless detrivore?
Bumblebee Snails
- Thread starter Dwarf Seahorses
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greenbean36191
Premium Member
They are predatory whelks, not detritivores, but they aren't going to prey on clams and corals. They'll mostly be after small animals that you won't notice missing.
Dwarf Seahorses
New member
Cool. Exactly what small animals will they be after?
pagojoe
Team RC
You want a species list??? 
You can find some of the info on the net, but as usual when you are looking for scientific papers, you either have to subscribe to the service or pay $39 for a single article. Search "Engina mendicaria diet" on google and you'll find a couple different papers that will give you some specific info.
It boils down to: they won't eat algae, but they may eat most small animals, alive or dead. They are known to eat carrion, but they are also known to kill and eat worms as well as small molluscs, even though they don't drill the shells to kill them. Their diet is considered to be "widely varied," and may include many of the tiny animals that aquarists consider to be beneficial.
Cheers,
Don
You can find some of the info on the net, but as usual when you are looking for scientific papers, you either have to subscribe to the service or pay $39 for a single article. Search "Engina mendicaria diet" on google and you'll find a couple different papers that will give you some specific info.
It boils down to: they won't eat algae, but they may eat most small animals, alive or dead. They are known to eat carrion, but they are also known to kill and eat worms as well as small molluscs, even though they don't drill the shells to kill them. Their diet is considered to be "widely varied," and may include many of the tiny animals that aquarists consider to be beneficial.
Cheers,
Don
