Whelk Question

[Stanton]

How many different species do we get in this hobby?

I have about 7 or 8 little snails(1/2") just crawling on the glass eating my hair algae. They have a snout and kinda resemble a fighting conch. I wasn't concerned until I found one on a dead turbo. They are a dark brown with white on the horns like the fighting conch. They look nothing like my nassarius snails other than the snout.

 

[greenbean36191]

Probably a couple hundred species.

If they have a long siphon with a canal for it built into the shell then that's a pretty good indication that they're whelks. If you didn't buy it and it has a long tube sticking up out of the front of the shell then most of the time you're looking at a whelk.

 

[Stanton]

Thanks Greenbean. I have 8 so far in my quarantine now. I've seen them eat my hair algae and diatoms...Do they eat algae until they can kill another snail?

 

[greenbean36191]

Without a pic of your snails it's hard to say anything about their diet. Even if they are whelks, that doesn't necessarily mean they're predators. Nassarius sticks to carrion, Ilyanassa is an omnivore, and at least some Columbellids are herbivores. All of them are whelks though.

 

[Stanton]

Thanks again. I'll get a pic since they are isolated in their own tank for now.