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05-18-2003, 08:36 PM
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#1
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Snail ID
I need some help id'ing this snail. It is from the Atlantic coast, NC. I had a few of these in my tank for about a month or so and nothing bad happened... didn't bother the corals etc. I just want to know what kind they are and if they are helpful in the tank for eating leftover food, waste and algae. Sorry the pics are bad, but maybe someone has a clue what these guys are. As for a descripton... they are in small black shells, with a long tube like siphon that protrudes from the end of the shell. Thanks!
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Last edited by kbolick; 05-19-2003 at 10:34 AM.
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05-18-2003, 08:39 PM
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#2
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Pic 2
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05-18-2003, 08:39 PM
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#3
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Pic 3
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05-18-2003, 08:40 PM
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#4
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Pic 4
Pic 4
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05-18-2003, 08:41 PM
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#5
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Pic 5
Pic 5
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05-18-2003, 11:37 PM
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#6
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Nassarius Snail?
Could this be a type of Nassarius Snail? |
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05-19-2003, 07:43 AM
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#7
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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I have searced far and wide and can't seem to find out what kind of snail this is. They were harvested from the shore of the Carolina coast. These snails bury themselves in the sand and when not burried search the surface for food. So far, they are harmless in my tank, but I have no idea if there is any benefit to having them there. Maybe they are just "producers" and not necessarily "consumers" of any type and they are just adding to the bio-load if my tank.
Last edited by kbolick; 05-19-2003 at 10:32 AM.
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05-19-2003, 09:59 AM
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#8
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Reefless Reefer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 20,559
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i would also guess some kind of nassarius snail. do they move rather quickly for a snail? can they flip themselves over? these are all things my nassarius do.
HTH,
G~
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05-19-2003, 10:11 AM
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#9
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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Yes, they are quick. They climb the glass a lot and when they fall, they flip themselves as I have seen described. Do you know of the benefits or harm of having these in the reef tank? From what I am reading online this could be the Nassarius albus or Nassarius vibex. They are common in shallow water soft-sediment areas throughout the Caribbean, and their range extends from the Carolinas in the north and Brazil in the south. I believe this is what I have. They seem to be considered, by some, a replacement to the hermit as a detrious consumer. I guess this would be a positive since they consume waste, dead inhabitants, and leftover food. Thus, in turn, I assume this would keep the undesired levels down and help control growth of diatoms and unwanted algae?
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05-19-2003, 10:29 AM
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#10
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Reefless Reefer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 20,559
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i have a completely crabless system. i do not trust them. these guys take the place of crabs for eating left overs. they book around pretty good. so far i like them. i have had no problem with them.
where did you get them. if i can catch off the coast then the next time i am at the outerbanks i could hunt some down.
G~
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05-19-2003, 10:39 AM
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#11
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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To be honest, I harvested them myself off the shore behind my girlfriend's parents' house. There were literally thousands of these on the shore. I didn't want to state this earlier because I wouldn't typically harvest a creature from the wild for my tank. I think this is usually irresponsible to do such, but snails reproduce so rapidly I see little harm.
Last edited by kbolick; 05-19-2003 at 10:45 AM.
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05-19-2003, 10:49 AM
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#12
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Reefless Reefer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 20,559
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i also generally agree. snails were a little brave on your part though.  they do sound and look like nassarious though.
i have harvested a fish before, and it lived 5 yrs in my system. it was a blennie. i did this because i knew what blennies eat and i was sure i could provide for its needs. any wild caught is a risk for baddies, so i would suggest quarinteening. now as for legality, i do not know if a fishing permit is all that is necessary to "catch" fish or not. i guess i do not know the difference between hooking a red snapper, or a gray angel.
G~
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Friends Don't Let Friends Use Refugiums!
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05-19-2003, 10:54 AM
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#13
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Ghost of reefers past
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Southern Oregon, Way West of Dimples ;)
Posts: 25,140
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Well best bet would have been ID before hand , but it looks like you found some useful ones, and I doubt that you or a few people collecting a few will impact
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05-19-2003, 10:58 AM
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#14
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Little Fishy
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
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I imagine someone would have a problem with this. Legality, I am unsure. But I would never remove anything other than this... never a coral or blast for live rock. That is truly ignorant and irresponsible. But as for snails, I am sure I have not impacted anything in the environment by adding a few to my tank. I had a few in there for over a month, and they survived and harmed nothing. I assume that these will be the same.
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