Snail ID?

[Boca Kris]

I was told this was either a nassarius snail or a whelk. One's good, one's bad.....any help would be greatly appreciated! I've had some zoos and some other polyps and palys go missing, but I wasn't sure if this was the culprit! Thanks so much!

 

[pagojoe]

It's a whelk, Cantharus pulchra. I doubt it ate your polyps or palys, though. This particular snail is a subtidal species, usually found at scuba depth, so the diet information available for many of the intertidal molluscs appears to be lacking in this case. It will be a predator, but most likely feeds on other snails, barnacles, and/or worms.

http://www.gastropods.com/0/Shell_3240.shtml

Cheers,



Don

 

[pagojoe]

Great pic, by the way.

 

[ctenophors rule]

isn't nassarious vibex a whelk?

not all whelks are bad, just the majority!

 

[pagojoe]

No, Nassarius snails are in the family Nassariidae. The true whelks are in the family Buccinidae. They are in the same superfamily though, Buccinoidea.

Cheers,



Don