JohnnyMTB Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 This came as a hitchiker on my FL. Keys liverock and has been in the tank forever, finally got a good pic of him out in the open. Seems to mainly come out before the lights go out. Any ideas? He's a little bigger than a 1/4 inch. Link to comment
jmt Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 The body looks like some sort fo Cerinth snail, but that isn't a Cerinth snail shell. I dunno? -Justin Link to comment
ninhsavestheday Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 could that be a cone snail? Link to comment
enrico Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 Not a cone, that's sure... A decent ID is not easy from this side... an image from the top or from the bottom is better for ID Enrico Link to comment
caja Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 could be some type of whelk Link to comment
BlackSumbel Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 Whelk. Dog Whelk probably. Whelks are notorius for being mollusk eaters (meaning they eat other snails and clams). I'd suggest either isolating and containing untill you can get a really CRISP clear image, or elimination erring on the side of caution. Link to comment
JohnnyMTB Posted January 26, 2004 Author Share Posted January 26, 2004 Thanks Caja and BlackSumbel, I'm looking into the whelk thing now. My rock has a ton of bivalves and little clams on it, he doesn't seem to be going after them, if he is he hasn't managed any damage in the 8 months he's been in there. Might pull him out tonight to try to get a profile shot. Thanks, John Link to comment
JohnnyMTB Posted January 27, 2004 Author Share Posted January 27, 2004 This one isn't as clear, but it does show the shape of the shell better. I sent the first pic to a professor at UGA, he doesn't think it's a whelk, suggested Peristernia philberti? Can't find any good pics of that species on the web. Link to comment
JohnnyMTB Posted January 27, 2004 Author Share Posted January 27, 2004 OK, he's been ID'd as a Pisania pusio of the Buccinidae family, common name miniature trumpet triton, common in the FL. Keys. Still trying to find some dietary info on him. Thanks for everyone's help. Link to comment
mattdog Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Johnny, This is a whelk. All whelks are predatory and most (98%) are not reef safe. The only whelks that will do ok in our tanks are the nassarius species. Whelks prey on all sorts of things. It just depends on what the particular species is designed to eat. Try to send the shots you've already taken plus a shot of the carapace (bottom) of the snail to Dr. Ron Shimek over at ReefCentral.com . I'm not saying that the species idea is wrong, although I do question it, but I am saying that this is a species of whelk/triton as they are the same thing. HTH, Matt Link to comment
Angel Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I have had one like that in my tank for two + years and it has never damaged anything that I know of. When I first found it, I searched and searched to no avail of identifying. I am now going to look up what you specified and see if I can get further info on it. I also have FL rock. I hardly ever see my guy anymore, but he does love to stir my sand. The next time I see him, I will pull him out and get some different photos to add to this collection. Thanks again Angel Link to comment
Angel Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 This is the best one I could get, of the coloration on his foot, of this little fast moving sucker. I hope I downsized the photo enough. I have a few different angles that I took, but didn't know if they would help. From what I have read, they seem to look like Cantharus tinctus. Angel Link to comment
JohnnyMTB Posted February 6, 2004 Author Share Posted February 6, 2004 Angel, from your photo it looks like we have different species, the "snout" thing looks different. Matt- Yeah, Pisania pusio is a species of whelk. He's been in the tank for 8 months now, I still have a ton of bivalves on my LR, along with all my snails and hermits. I'm going to let him stay a while longer unless I see him actually commit a crime. So far he mainly comes out in the evening and when I feed, along with all my nessies. Thanks for all the info. Link to comment
Bodhi-Licious Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Whatever it is, I would say it's BAD. I had one that came home from the LFS on some rock and I thought it was cool. Then one day I came home with 5 nasarius snails for my tank and the big guy ate three of them almost immediatley. I had also noticed that all of my ceriths were missing. Anyways he was evicted that night RIP Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.