Queen Conch a predator?

[KyleP]

My Queen Conch just killed a turbo snail. It did this by sealing of the opening of the turbo for about 8 hours. I guess it was eating it at the same time, because when he finally let go, there was turbo meat coming out. I actually witnessed him catch the turbo while it was still alive. He chased the turbo down on the sand bed. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this before or heard of it?

 

[venwu225]

its not a queen conch then. strombus gigas are not predatory.

But your snail sounds really cool, I would love you have it and I will pay shipping. Any chance you can post a picture for proper ID?

 

[KyleP]

That crossed my mind. The LFS said queen but you never know with them. It does look like one though, compared to the pictures I have seen online. That or maybe a fighting conch. I don't know for sure, but it definitely went ape **** on that turbo. Sorry boss, its not for sale....not anymore anyways...lol. I too think its cool and may begin to feed it turbo's. I also have Mexican turbos, but it seems they are safe for the time being due to their size. But who knows what will happen when the conch begins to grow?

 

[sanfordbhines]

Did it look anything like this?

http://www.jaxshells.org/mcorona5.htm

 

[650-IS350]

Sounds like you have a CROWN CONCH not queen, I have 6-8 of them in my tank and has NEVER harmed anything....

 

[greenbean36191]

There are lots of whelks with "conch" in the common name and then some that are just misidentified by whoever it is that attached the label to them. None of the "true" stromboid conchs are predatory.

 

[KyleP]

Thats the one Sanford! your first pic, top left is exactly what mine looks like. What is the common name? Is it even a conch? Will this beast kill hermit crabs or mexican turbos? Lol....I'm worried now!

 

[greenbean36191]

All of them are "crown conchs." They're actually predatory whelks rather than true conchs. In the wild I've seen them eat snails almost as big as themselves, but never hermits. I certainly wouldn't assume that makes them hermit safe though. Whatever you decide to do with them, I wouldn't keep them since they also eat some sessile inverts in addition to the snails.

 

[KyleP]

Sessile is a big group. And anemones are a part. And I have a new LTA. I might banish him to the sump. Thanks a bunch for the info!

 

[yiliyang]

I bought a 'COOL' looking spiky shelled conch on ebay. a few dead snails later I finally caught him doing the whole seal the opening of the snail shell thing and eats the flesh inside. I found out later what I bought was Florida crown conch. same as the one in the link above. They are quite nasty, the last of its victim was a Mexican turbo snail. The turbo put up a good fight, it closed off its opening with his hard round disk. The conch has to inject a long pointy tube into the prey in order to eat, the turbo's round disk stopped the lethal injection, but the turbo died from a lack of oxygen from his shell being sealed for so long. You will have to banish the conch, he will surely kill off all of your grazers in time.

You can however get a mini hamster cage from the pet store, drill some holes on it, put the conch in with a rock and look at it in its prison, you can feed him silverside or chucks of any marine meat. He is a cool looking creature, just not snail safe.

 

[Sk8r]

Fighting conches, btw, are safe, despite the name. They apparently lurch around a lot during mating, and people thought they were fighting, hence the name---but they are algae and detritus grazers, a lot like nassarius in behavior, but above the sand more often.