What is this?

[ReefKnot]

I just noticed this morning a new shell on part of the sand. It looks like the tiniest cone shaped hermit crab shell. I did some research and saw that pyramid and rossoid snails have those shells as well.... This one is purple though, so I'm confused.... I cant even get a clear picture its so small.....

 

[ReefKnot]

http://s1092.photobucket.com/albums/i411/Michael_Wrenshall/?action=view&current=IMG_0966.jpg

took it out, its definately a shell, seems empty, but when i look at it, the bottom half does look a bit darker, anyone have a guess what it might be or have been?

 

[DoubleM 10]

that pic is to small and to fuzzy to tell

 

[pagojoe]

Even with the fuzzy pic, I can identify that one since there's nothing else that shape and that purple. It's Mastonia rubra, a little sinistral triphorid that supposedly feeds on cryptic sponges. It wouldn't be a problem in your tank.

http://www.gastropods.com/9/Shell_9349.shtml

That's my pic of the species at the bottom of the page, even though it is inadvertenly attributed to the Coltro brothers (Femorale).

Cheers,



Don