Cowrie eating coral
- Thread starter jbob
- Start date
Arkayology
Active member
Most cowries are known for eating corals. Money, or ring, cowries are the only ones that are considered "reef safe". This does not mean that they will not eat corals but that they generally leave them alone as long as they have enough algae to eat.
My money cowries stays on the glass and rocks. I have not lost any corals since adding him. Stay away from Tiger Cowries as they are known to eat soft corals.
My money cowries stays on the glass and rocks. I have not lost any corals since adding him. Stay away from Tiger Cowries as they are known to eat soft corals.
hmm i did not know that. when i bought it i was told it was a money cowrie, but it doesn't look like one. it looks like a tiger. i didn't mind at the time since tigers are usually more expensive. i've had it for prly 5 months now and have never noticed anything looking like it has been messed with. i'll hafta keep a closer eye on it. and maybe remove it if i see any more munching. i'm waiting for the lights to turn on, hopefully the pipe organ will open fully and there will be no damage. wish me luck
pagojoe
Team RC
Actually, most cowries are NOT known for eating corals. Essentially all ovulids feed on one "soft coral" or another, and since they look like cowries, and the people who are considered to be reef experts (they aren't mollusc experts for sure) call them cowries, this myth gets propogated throughout the hobby over and over. It doesn't help that at least one of the authors published this as a fact, and then illustrated it by showing a pic of an ovulid, not a cowry, feeding on a leather coral. Dr. Burgess, who published a guide to collecting and identifying cowries called "The Living Cowries," noted specifically that it was a waste of time to look for cowries among live corals, because they don't feed on live corals. They are found under dead coral slabs usually with sponge growth and microscopic animals to feed on, along with various sparse algae growth. I've found this to be the case also. There are only a few small species of cowries that may be found in association with live corals, and none of them have been observed to be feeding on them, although it's possible. These include Cypraea poraria, Cypraea fimbriata, Cypraea irrorata, Cypraea minoridens, and Cypraea microdon. None of these has ever shown up on any of the reef tank forums, as far as I'm aware, and none of the suppliers sell them to hobbyists. As I've stated several times before, large starving cowries in small tanks may start tasting of things, including potentially corals, which isn't exactly the same as saying all cowries feed on corals, since none of them are known to do so.
Cheers,
Don
Cheers,
Don
Airwolf75
Another Vegasreefer
I reckon a picture is in order here.
I've kept 4 kinds of cowries, before going in the reef, all were kept in a small tank and presented with various food items.
Gold Rings, reef safe-now in reef tank 3 years
Snakeheads, Reef safe-now in reef tank 5 years
Arabic, Reef Safe now in someone elses reef tank 1 year
Deer Cowrie, ate a candy cane coral in QT, It was very large, went into someones's fish only tank.
I keep sponges in my reef and the cowries have not eaten them either
I've kept 4 kinds of cowries, before going in the reef, all were kept in a small tank and presented with various food items.
Gold Rings, reef safe-now in reef tank 3 years
Snakeheads, Reef safe-now in reef tank 5 years
Arabic, Reef Safe now in someone elses reef tank 1 year
Deer Cowrie, ate a candy cane coral in QT, It was very large, went into someones's fish only tank.
I keep sponges in my reef and the cowries have not eaten them either
pagojoe
Team RC
That's Cypraea (Mauritia) arabica, one of the most common species sold in the hobby. The species grows large enough to deplete the food supply in a small tank quickly. However, because it is more of a generalist feeder than many species, it is fairly easy to keep in an aquarium. I've posted this several times before, but a friend of mine kept one for over twenty years by feeding it wilted lettuce and supermarket clams on the halfshell. If you feed it, it probably won't go tasting of your ornamental corals.
Cheers,
Don
Cheers,
Don
Airwolf75
Another Vegasreefer
It's certainly possible, We can only speculate. It ate some yellow polyps too. and some nori sheets, and a piece of office paper.
But it was insanely huge like 6 inches. All the other cowries would eat around the coral, this one would just clear a swath, and it's giant shell was pretty good at knocking things around.
So with omnivorious tendencies and a big clunky shell, I recommend against this cowrie for most people.
nivenethan
New member
I have a 2.5" deer cowrie that really likes my ORA Bird of Paradise. He has been sent to my refugium until I find something to do with him.
I posted this in another thread but thought id share it year as well. I've had a tiger cowry in my tank for 5+ years. It wasnt uncommon to not even see this snail for months, or even up to a year. Never really touched any of my corals, but recently i have noticed some new zoa species disappear over night...i didnt think anything of it until i saw him eating the bottom of a large pocillipora colony....For whatever reason he had a taste for it, so he's been relocated. many other corals were fine, i would advise just keeping close tabs.
<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/?action=view¤t=tigercowry.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/tigercowry.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/?action=view¤t=tigercowry.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/tigercowry.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
