mitre snail

mummra100769

Premium Member
i saw one of these guys in the random gallery pics.myLFS has them ,but the employee i talked to said that they eat other gastropods.are they reef safe algae eaters or monster clam and snail killers?the one i saw was Mitra(mitra)mitra.
thanx
 
There are a few Miters (family Mitridae) that may feed on small mollusks; however, the vast majority feed on worms, especially sipunculids (peanut worms). The species you mention, Mitra mitra, does go for worms. I've witnessed this first hand while diving. On one particular occasion, I pulled one up from the sand with its proboscis still extend (longer than the shell). It was in the process of consuming a worm.

All miters are carnivorous and will not eat algae. Honestly, I don't know why these are turning up in the aquarium trade as I doubt most reefers can provide for their diet.

Cheers,
Bob
 
hey thanks bob.i did not think they were algae eaters but it was worth a try.they look sooo cool. anywhooo reefcentral is once again the ultimate source for obscure questions.
thanx
 
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