Snail in Zoas, ID please

Gobie74 · 05/19/2007, 05:43 PM

I found this snail among my zoas today, they didn't seem to be doing well around where I found it which leads me to believe it was eating them, or at least was detrimental to them.

I've noticed the zoas thinning out in some areas and wonder if this guy could be the cause. Sorry the pictures aren't great.

The snail is growing circular similar to a rams horn. It's now about 3/4 inches in diameter, dark brown in color. The shell is slightly concave on one side, obviously, convex on the other. It has a little trap door that it uses to cover the end of it's shell when it retracts, you can see it in the pictures as a lighter colored shell. The trap door also looks like a little rams horn.

I know the pictures aren't great. Any ideas. I'm planning on getting rid of it unless there is a reason I should keep it?

jer77 · 05/19/2007, 05:53 PM

I'd probably get rid of it. Any snail found in a colony of zoas is probably bad. It doesn't look like a sundial snail, except for its operculum i.e. trap door.

jer77 · 05/19/2007, 06:09 PM

Can you get a pic of the top of it?

Gobie74 · 05/19/2007, 06:29 PM

I'll try

Gobie74 · 05/19/2007, 06:32 PM

Best I could get was the snail crawling up the side of the cup

jer77 · 05/19/2007, 07:14 PM

Probably is of the genus Heliacus actually even though it doesn't have the checkered appearance of Heliacus areola. I'd get rid of it and look for more.

aquarius77 · 05/19/2007, 07:53 PM

I agree with Jer 100%

Gobie74 · 05/19/2007, 08:03 PM

Thanks guys, I'll start looking for more. Got rid of the one I found. Hopefully the zoas condition will improve.

Icefire · 05/19/2007, 11:21 PM

zoa eating snail

pagojoe · 05/20/2007, 01:25 AM

It's a Heliacus species, as it has the characteristic operculum, but I don't think it's one of the common ones. They seem to be selective about the species they feed on, so maybe your zoas are an uncommon species as well? I found a photo that appears to be your species, feeding on brown zoas, but I'm pretty sure it's misidentified in the literature (H. variegatus usually, or always, eat the green zoas). It's identified there as Heliacus variegatus, but it looks to be solid brown in color, unlike the real H. variegatus. The next page (Marine Mollusks in Japan, p. 698) shows the same brown zoa being eaten by Heliacus infundibuliformis. It looks very much like your snail, except it reportedly only reached 10mm in length. In any case it's definitely eating your zoas, but is a very neat snail.

Cheers,

Don

Frick-n-Frags · 05/20/2007, 05:04 AM

note to self: sundials come in brown too.

thank you

(these are the trivia tidbits that help down the road)

05/19/2007, 05:43 PM	#1
Gobie74 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 924	Snail in Zoas, ID please I found this snail among my zoas today, they didn't seem to be doing well around where I found it which leads me to believe it was eating them, or at least was detrimental to them. I've noticed the zoas thinning out in some areas and wonder if this guy could be the cause. Sorry the pictures aren't great. The snail is growing circular similar to a rams horn. It's now about 3/4 inches in diameter, dark brown in color. The shell is slightly concave on one side, obviously, convex on the other. It has a little trap door that it uses to cover the end of it's shell when it retracts, you can see it in the pictures as a lighter colored shell. The trap door also looks like a little rams horn. I know the pictures aren't great. Any ideas. I'm planning on getting rid of it unless there is a reason I should keep it?

05/19/2007, 05:53 PM	#2
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	I'd probably get rid of it. Any snail found in a colony of zoas is probably bad. It doesn't look like a sundial snail, except for its operculum i.e. trap door. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

05/19/2007, 06:09 PM	#3
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	Can you get a pic of the top of it? __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

05/19/2007, 07:14 PM	#6
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	Probably is of the genus Heliacus actually even though it doesn't have the checkered appearance of Heliacus areola. I'd get rid of it and look for more. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

05/19/2007, 11:21 PM	#9
Icefire Seasoned reefer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In Quebec, Canada Posts: 3,653	zoa eating snail __________________ Temp 80F, PH 8.5-8.0, Alk 6.8-7.2, Ca 430, Mg 1700, NO3 0-0.25, PO4 0.04, 34.4 PPT Lights @ 100% all others, 35% White Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 120lbs live rocks, Hydra52 2x120W, 2 MP40+ 1 MP10 @ 70%, Phosban 550 GFO+Carbon, 200W Heater, SWC Skimmer, Kalk ATO, 150 gpd RODI

05/19/2007, 06:29 PM	#4
Gobie74 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 924	I'll try

05/19/2007, 06:32 PM	#5
Gobie74 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 924	Best I could get was the snail crawling up the side of the cup

05/19/2007, 07:53 PM	#7
aquarius77 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Highland, Il Posts: 2,198	I agree with Jer 100%

05/19/2007, 08:03 PM	#8
Gobie74 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 924	Thanks guys, I'll start looking for more. Got rid of the one I found. Hopefully the zoas condition will improve.

05/20/2007, 01:25 AM	#10
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	It's a Heliacus species, as it has the characteristic operculum, but I don't think it's one of the common ones. They seem to be selective about the species they feed on, so maybe your zoas are an uncommon species as well? I found a photo that appears to be your species, feeding on brown zoas, but I'm pretty sure it's misidentified in the literature (H. variegatus usually, or always, eat the green zoas). It's identified there as Heliacus variegatus, but it looks to be solid brown in color, unlike the real H. variegatus. The next page (Marine Mollusks in Japan, p. 698) shows the same brown zoa being eaten by Heliacus infundibuliformis. It looks very much like your snail, except it reportedly only reached 10mm in length. In any case it's definitely eating your zoas, but is a very neat snail. Cheers, Don

05/20/2007, 05:04 AM	#11
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	note to self: sundials come in brown too. thank you (these are the trivia tidbits that help down the road) __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB