Hitchhiker ID please.

myzislow · 01/15/2008, 04:28 PM

I was just observing my reef and all of a sudden I see a constant "puffing" of whitish ink like substance coming from my live rock. It lasted for a good 10-15 seconds or so before I ripped the part of the tank apart to see what it was. This is what I found:

I'm guessing some type of abalone maybe? It definitely looks like an algae eater. It has prominent eyes, 2 main feeler like tentacles, and a hard shell with a bit of iridescence. Thanks

Sk8r · 01/15/2008, 04:31 PM

Stomatella? Can't really distinguish body from shell, but over all looks like stomatella: they puff like a steam locomotive when breeding.

dc · 01/15/2008, 04:50 PM

I believe Sk8r is right.

styndall · 01/15/2008, 04:59 PM

It's a stomatella snail. It's really cool to watch them spawn. When you get several large enough to breed, one will stand up straight and start shooting out eggs, and the rest will follow suit. You'll eventually get a bunch of tiny snails firing eggs into the water, making your tank look like a snow globe.

I have a pair of clowns that loves the stomatella spawn event. They each choose a snail and swim right next to it, taking big mouthfulls of snail caviar with every little eggy pulse.

sk8rreefgeek · 01/15/2008, 05:15 PM

my girlfriend got one of those but got all freaked out and had me get rid of it

myzislow · 01/15/2008, 05:16 PM

Thanks guys, that's definitely it. I guess I caught him the act lol. This explains why the other day I came home and my tank was cloudy and all my inhabitants were going crazy.

01/15/2008, 04:28 PM	#1
myzislow Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,275	Hitchhiker ID please. I was just observing my reef and all of a sudden I see a constant "puffing" of whitish ink like substance coming from my live rock. It lasted for a good 10-15 seconds or so before I ripped the part of the tank apart to see what it was. This is what I found: I'm guessing some type of abalone maybe? It definitely looks like an algae eater. It has prominent eyes, 2 main feeler like tentacles, and a hard shell with a bit of iridescence. Thanks

01/15/2008, 04:31 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Stomatella? Can't really distinguish body from shell, but over all looks like stomatella: they puff like a steam locomotive when breeding. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/15/2008, 04:50 PM	#3
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	I believe Sk8r is right. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

01/15/2008, 04:59 PM	#4
styndall Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 282	It's a stomatella snail. It's really cool to watch them spawn. When you get several large enough to breed, one will stand up straight and start shooting out eggs, and the rest will follow suit. You'll eventually get a bunch of tiny snails firing eggs into the water, making your tank look like a snow globe. I have a pair of clowns that loves the stomatella spawn event. They each choose a snail and swim right next to it, taking big mouthfulls of snail caviar with every little eggy pulse.

01/15/2008, 05:15 PM	#5
sk8rreefgeek Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Lodi, California Posts: 1,352	my girlfriend got one of those but got all freaked out and had me get rid of it

01/15/2008, 05:16 PM	#6
myzislow Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,275	Thanks guys, that's definitely it. I guess I caught him the act lol. This explains why the other day I came home and my tank was cloudy and all my inhabitants were going crazy.