What is this?

[ma_reef]

What is this? I have some ideas, but can't get a definitive answer so far. I suspect that someone here will be able to easily ID this approx. 2-in. creature that buries himself in the sand and moves fairly quickly around the saltwater tank - both on the glass and on the sand. His first night in the tank I discovered him on his back wrapping his body around a cerith snail - who, if it wasn't dead before he got to it, was definitely dead after. Thanks for your input. Here are some pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61010162@N04/5556877559/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61010162@N04/5556874919/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61010162@N04/5556876141/

 

[andythorntonjr]

Looks like a nassarius snail to me?

 

[ma_reef]

Looks like a nassarius snail to me?

It looks different and much bigger than my Nassarius Snails. I would think that it is a Super Tongan Nassarius, but all of the pictures that I have found online of the Super Tongan show a different shell, and different looking "antennae like structures" under the "snorkel". This one has a long "neck" with small antennae attached, while the photos I've seen look more like the small Nassarius snails, which seem to have a wider placed set of "antennae-like structures" under the "snorkel". Sorry about the lack of proper snail lingo.

 

[pagojoe]

It's a subadult Melongena melongena. Eating snails is what they do for a living

http://www.gastropods.com/1/Shell_1011.shtml

Cheers,



Don

 

[ma_reef]

It's a subadult Melongena melongena. Eating snails is what they do for a living

http://www.gastropods.com/1/Shell_1011.shtml

Cheers,



Don

Thanks for the info. I can't find much info about the melongena melongena anywhere else online, but that shell you posted does look similar. You appear to be fairly certain of your ID, so until someone proves otherwise, I am going with this ID.

You mention it is a subadult, so I assume it will get bigger? Will it harm corals (I don't have any yet, but am shooting for that goal)? Will it knock over my live rock? I asked for a Fighting Conch because I understand that they eat algae, don't hunt anyone, and are generally reef safe (I think). When it ate the snail I started investigating further. If this conch won't hurt my coral or knock over my live rock and eats algae, then perhaps I can keep it and simply stock snails that move fast? For example, it appears that my Nassarius Snails are fairly adept at escaping.

On the other hand, if this conch is not reef safe, then I will try to take it back to the store that gave it to me. It would be nice to have a positive ID at that time. Thanks a lot for your input!

 

[greenbean36191]

It won't harm corals, but it also won't eat algae. Unlike true conchs- which this snail is unrelated to, despite the common name- this snail is strictly predatory.

 

[ma_reef]

It won't harm corals, but it also won't eat algae. Unlike true conchs- which this snail is unrelated to, despite the common name- this snail is strictly predatory.

Thanks for the 411, but I am not happy to hear that it will only survive if it eats my snails and that it won't eat the algae. Hopefully I can return it to the store that gave it to me since I had asked them for a peaceful, algae-consuming Fighting Conch.

If anyone wants it - perhaps to deal with a snail infestation (if that happens) - let me know and I'll be happy to ship it. Thanks again!

 

[Sk8r]

Yep, a Fighting Conch it is not. The fighting conchs have a kind of a 'spur' on their side, which they use to maneuver with. Nassarius, conchs, and tiny strombus grazers all look somewhat alike, but their habits are quite different [the strombus grazers even spin a kind of silk, and use it to drop down to the next rock.] A very interesting group of snails, but a predator in the fold is not a good thing.

 

[ma_reef]

Thanks for the help everybody. I could never have ID's that on my own. The people at the store were very cool about it and the predator is in their hands now, while I am back home acclimating a Fighting Conch, an Abalone, and another Peppermint Shrimp. Good times!