Predatory Snail?

[Superstretch18]

I found this little guy on a pocillopora today and I wonder if anyone can confirm species. Not really the best photo, but the best I could get:

The ledge he's sitting on is about 2" or so wide, so it's pretty tiny.

The spot where I found it was just about completely devoid of flesh. You can see the kidney shaped patch of skeleton in the center of the photo below, where I found the snail:

On the lookout for more, but in the meantime, let me know if anyone has any thoughts...

 

[pagojoe]

That's probably a juvenile Drupella cornus, which are coral feeders, as you discovered. The adults look quite a bit different, but if you compare the spire of an adult with your own snail, you can see the similarities.

http://www.gastropods.com/9/Shell_4759.shtml

Cheers,



Don

 

[Superstretch18]

Interesting. Thanks for the quick response. There are definite similarities. I also found this nugget while searching:

The gastropod Drupella cornus, which is a corallivorous snail, causes reef degradation in the northern Red Sea. D. cornus prefers corals of the genus Acropora sp and Pocillopora.

Fortunately, I haven't seen noticed any tissue loss on other corals and hopefully it was just an individual and not a batch of eggs.

**crosses fingers**

Would typical pyramellid predators go after these too? I've been considering adding a radiant wrasse and this might just be my excuse to pull the trigger...

 

[pagojoe]

If the snails were tiny, the wrasses might eat them. I'm pretty sure the wrasses seen in most reef tanks couldn't crush an adult, although they might be able to swallow a subadult? If you need an excuse for the wrasse, well... GO FOR IT! lol

Cheers,



Don

 

[Superstretch18]

Thanks again for your help!