bad bad snails-- just dont know how or when?? ID w/ pics

[Mickadee]

ok 2 days ago I moved my tank into the 100gallon and posted pics of them. this afternoon I was looking in the tank and found 2 snails that are huge I didnt add them or transfer them into the 100 knowingly. I have the same rocks etcc that was in my 50 gallon and nothing has been added but coral frags and such since about august last year. does anyone know what kind of smails these are. I know they are predatory because they both had my queen conchs and eating them ( there is no doubt that they being eatin and there is nothing left of either of them.


can someone please ID them??
there are in the new sump now so there isnt any danger of them getting another snail or anything. that is unless there is somemore in the tank.

thanks
Mike
there are about 5 pics of the 2 snails

[Mickadee]

next same as the above snail

[Mickadee]

the next smae as above

[Mickadee]

and the next snail

[Mickadee]

and the under side of the last snail any ideas???

both snails are about the same size

[Geoff]

sorry, have no idea.

just had to say, you got a couple mighty big snails there. maybe some carlic and butter may be nice.

G~

[grazzit]

Sheesh those guys are huge, no clue what they are but I bet the look on your face when you pulled them out was priceless. I know if I found 2 snails that large that I hadn't intentionally put in my tank I'd probably stand there stunned for a couple minutes and then have to pick my jaw up off the floor =P

[Mrs Smith]

They look like Whelks - hard to say exactly what kind, as there are hundreds. That would also fit the predatory issue. Do watch out - we've had run ins with dog whelks, and they do reproduce. Be on the lookout for babies.

And hopefully someone can come up with a better ID.

Danielle

[Geoff]

is it welchs or cowrie's that can have the venomous harpoon? just a word of caution.

it is not the conch.

G~

[Mickadee]

yeah I figured that iF there was anything really big I would have seen it but Never in my life would I figure I would pull out snails that are as big as my smallest rock in the tank.. I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hope that they didnt lay eggs in the but I kinda figure that a snail that big would produce a large egg clutch that I would be able to find( O and TRUST ME I have looked all over the tank pulled all the rock and corals and searched to see if I could find some more but havent)
and my mom almost had a heart attck when I was puling them out yelling and gripping the whole time.
kinda like "WHERE IN THE H*** DID THESE THINGS COME FROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DID YOU PUT THEM IN THE TANK> ( she always had a habit of buying things adding them to the tank and not telling me to see how long it would take for me to find them)
AND THEY ARE EATING MY D*** QUEENS.
of course she had no clue what a queen was but she was freaking out to LOL.
Mike

[Tauch's Lady]

Both of these babies are molluscivorous species. Watch out for these, as you noted, they will eat whatever snails they can catch. They may also scavenge detritus, once they've finished off your queen conchs (sorry to hear about that).

The first one is commonly called an Apple Murex; the second is a species of Vase shell, probably Vasum muricatum (Born, 1778). They are common throughout the Caribbean. Although these prefer to dine on clams and worms, they will obviously eat other snails if they can.

No, these are not poisonous. Those are the Cone shells, and all of them sting, but most will not make you seriously ill, although your affected part will swell and hurt like #$%@!

Hope this helps!
Cheers
Jenny