snail id

[cutnup]

found this today it looked cool but was wondering if it was reef safe

 

[graveyardworm]

My 1st impression, it doesnt look very reef safe. Could be a predatory whelk. Definately wait for an id before putting it in your tank.

 

[pagojoe]

http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_1245.html

 

[graveyardworm]

Don, given the range of this snail would it be considered temperate, tropical, or both with subspcies which have adapted to varying climates?

 

[pagojoe]

Hey David,

Probably both, the species ranges from New England down the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US to the Yucatan and the Bahamas. It must be pretty tolerant of variable water temperatures. I don't think there's been any subspecific distinction made, although the ones from tropical waters might fare better in a reef tank than the ones from up north? The ones from New England look just like the ones from Florida and Texas though, so maybe they would do well in a reef tank no matter where you caught them.

Cheers,



Don

 

[venwu225]

thats a moon snail, they need a large sand bed and a diet of small bivalves....can you manage that? If so great, if not, its best to put them back to the beach.