snail ID please

[pixreef]

can anyone distinguish this hitchhiker snail?
he's pretty, but i'm not sure if he's reef safe.

thanks,
bryan

 

[graveyardworm]

Very cool looking snail, I honestly have no idea, but given the coloration I would guess thats its predatory on something other than algae.

 

[petoonia]

Thats really cool looking!!!! I havent got a clue eilther.

 

[venwu225]

pretty sure its a cowry, they have very specific diets, hopefully you can find what it eats.

 

[SuperNerd]

That is a beauty. My first guess would be that it isn't an algae eater.
Here it is for everyone to see

 

[greenbean36191]

Could you catch it and get a picture of the top and bottom of the shell with the animal retracted? The mantle isn't generally much use for IDs and that's all that's visible. I suspect it's an ovulid of some sort (not reef safe), but from this angle, it's hard to tell.

 

[pixreef]

ovulid?

ovulid?

i think you're on to something, greenbean. it does bear striking resemblance to some of the Ovulidae i've now found web surfing. i haven't been able to catch it for another photograph, but my attempt did reveal that it's black polka-dot mantle is covering a white shell with no markings and a very small spiral at one end.

 

[greenbean36191]

The shape of the shell is what I'm most interested in, not the color. The opening is particularly important.

 

[pixreef]

without a macro lens, this was the best i could get right now.

 

[pixreef]

and for kicks, here's one through the glass:

 

[greenbean36191]

Well, it is an ovulid, but from the pictures I can't tell which one. Since they're all coral predators, it's a good idea to remove it.

 

[DonavonsReef]

Yeah, remove it to my tank.

 

[LeslieH]

Have you introduced a leather coral into your tank lately? This looks like Calpurnus verrucosus which is a specialized predator on leather corals like Sarcophyton and Lobophyton.

 

[pixreef]

thanks leslie,

i'd also noticed a similarity to photos of Calpurnus verrucosus at the sea slug forum. perhaps that's him, or maybe a close relative. my hitchiker does have similar coloration, but no brown pigments anywhere on him, nor those two bump structures (?). he was introduced when i added a live rock piece that had co-mingled with very many types of corals at a hobby store tank.

there was enough speculation for me on his diet to give him the heave-ho. he's back at the store, perhaps happily munching on leather corals.

thanks for everyone's speculation.