Hitchiker/Cowrie ID

[reef_researcher]

I've found this snail who I think is a Cowrie in my tank recently and I am looking for an ID. Does anyone know if it is reefsafe??
thanks

IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/reef_researcher/bballs086.jpg[/IMG]

The second photo is with the mantle retracted (sorry it's not great), thanks for any help

 

[pagojoe]

Cool cowry. I'm much better at ID'ing these snails from a straight-down view of the dorsum (with the mantle retracted), but I'll take a guess. It has the marginal spots and orange tentacles typical of Cypraea felina, although it's not one of the variants I've collected or seen alive. There are a few other possibilities, but the best matches are from areas that usually don't produce live rock for the aquarium trade (Red Sea and western Indian Ocean). If you can get a straight-down, in focus shot of the dorsum of the shell, I could give you a more confident guess. Whichever species it is, it's very unlikely to be a problem in your aquarium.

Cheers,



Don

 

[zenya]

Re: Hitchiker/Cowrie ID

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11045502#post11045502 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_researcher
I've found this snail who I think is a Cowrie in my tank recently and I am looking for an ID. Does anyone know if it is reefsafe??
thanks

The second photo is with the mantle retracted (sorry it's not great), thanks for any help

I fixed that link to the second image for you.