ID required.. Whelk or good guy?

[Subw00er]

Friend or foe?

It seems to have two snouts.. one for smelling and one for eating. Its a bit like a nassarius, but I've seen it eating little sprigs of algae on the glass.

Two vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOws1utXzno&feature=c4-overview&list=UU-uOF95nN7U5McXtPPsc0AQ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-LXgha8h4d4&list=UU-uOF95nN7U5McXtPPsc0AQ

I got a little worried tonight because I saw a few tiny ones on a dying sps colony.. They could have just been eating algae off of it..

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Looks like what IPSF.com sells as strombus grazers. Harmless.

 

[Subw00er]

Sugar, that really does look like them. Also the descriptions of reproduction, size and behavior seems on too.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yeah, I have some that I bought from IPSF specifically because they reproduce. From what I recall, Don (PagoJoe) says they are not true strombus snails but another species. I can't recall what that species is though. Maybe he'll chime in.

 

[pagojoe]

Yeah, they are columbellids. Interesting snails with "miniaturized" or "truncated" digestive systems. They are related to whelks, but don't behave like most of them. They are called "Dove Snails" or "Dove Shells" by just about the whole world outside of aquarists, and I think they only call them "Strombus Grazers" because some seller made up the name.

Cheers,


Don