Another Snail ID

barbra · 04/16/2007, 09:39 PM

I have just recently found a group of about 5 of these snails. They hang out pretty much together, they don't travel around much, and they usually are stuck face first on this particular rock.

Does anyone know what they are or what they are surviving on in my tank? They are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long and I can see nothing at all sticking out of the shell, it is impossible to tell what kind of a foot they have:

andrewr · 04/16/2007, 09:44 PM

could you get another picture because thats what my tank looks like after a night of Guiness

barbra · 04/16/2007, 09:56 PM

Hah! I know what you mean. I will try tomorrow, but I doubt it will help much, I am just very poor at photographing my tank

IslandCrow · 04/16/2007, 10:37 PM

Cerith maybe?

barbra · 04/17/2007, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by IslandCrow
Cerith maybe?

Not a Cerith. This is long and skinny and a light brown color. I posted a pic at the top

barbra · 04/17/2007, 07:43 AM

Surely somebody knows what this think is?

barbra · 04/17/2007, 10:21 AM

Bump - Hey, West Coast people...Good Morning.....any ideas?

pagojoe · 04/17/2007, 04:11 PM

I hit all my first-line references looking for this one, but didn't find a perfect match. There actually are a couple species of orangish-brown ceriths that are this skinny, but if it's one of those, yours has to be a juvenile. Most (all?) juvenile ceriths have the little "stem" or columellar extension alongside the aperture, and your snail doesn't really look like it has that. It appears to have the shape of a Turritella, but they are larger shells, and the ones that look similar to yours are from areas that are not likely to be collected for the aquarium trade (west Africa). Some Turbonilla species also look similar, but I can't find an orange one, nor even a white one that matches the sculpture.

My best guess, for the moment at least, is that it is a cerithiopsid. They don't get much larger than about half an inch, and most species are smaller than that. Orange is the most common color for this family, and they are generally shaped like your shell, even if most are skinnier. The family hasn't been extensively studied, but some are known to feed on sponges. It's likely that most if not all the others are also specialized sponge feeders.

http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphot...CERITHIOPSIDAE

http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...HIOPSINAE.html

I'll let you know if I find anything else (or change my mind....

)

Cheers,

Don

kingnai · 04/17/2007, 04:14 PM

any better pictures?

barbra · 04/17/2007, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kingnai
any better pictures?

In an hour my lights will drop down another notch and the snails will start to become active, if that's what you want to call it. They hardly move at all. None is in position for a pic at the moment, but I'll try in a bit.

Maybe I should use that next hour to cruise the photography forum

Don,
Thanks for a start anyway. I'll check out those links now. It could be a sponge thing because that rock has had a few pineapples show up recently. I haven't seen the snails around the sponges, but they are stuck to that rock and that rock only and each one keeps it's head down pretty tightly. They could very well be munching on sponges that are smaller than I can see. It's not like there is a lot of algae there or anyhting. They must be eating something because they have grown rather quickly.

I'll get back

barbra · 04/17/2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pagojoe
I hit all my first-line references looking for this one, but didn't find a perfect match. There actually are a couple species of orangish-brown ceriths that are this skinny, but if it's one of those, yours has to be a juvenile. Most (all?) juvenile ceriths have the little "stem" or columellar extension alongside the aperture, and your snail doesn't really look like it has that. It appears to have the shape of a Turritella, but they are larger shells, and the ones that look similar to yours are from areas that are not likely to be collected for the aquarium trade (west Africa). Some Turbonilla species also look similar, but I can't find an orange one, nor even a white one that matches the sculpture.

My best guess, for the moment at least, is that it is a cerithiopsid. They don't get much larger than about half an inch, and most species are smaller than that. Orange is the most common color for this family, and they are generally shaped like your shell, even if most are skinnier. The family hasn't been extensively studied, but some are known to feed on sponges. It's likely that most if not all the others are also specialized sponge feeders.

http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphot...CERITHIOPSIDAE

http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...HIOPSINAE.html

I'll let you know if I find anything else (or change my mind.... )

Cheers,

Don

I went to both pages, and picked a photo from each that looks pretty close. The shells on mine may be a little smoother than those that appear in the photos, but that could be lighting or any other thing.

I am not saying these are what I have, I am just saying they look like these. I am not good with these things, are both picks the same snail?

CERITHIOPSIDAE - Notoseila morishimai Habe, 1970 (page 1, center bottom photo)

Seila (Notoseila) morishimai (last pic on page)

pagojoe · 04/17/2007, 04:41 PM

Yes, I also thought they looked like they were most likely Seila species. They are indeed the same snail, the difference being that one source believes the distinguishing characteristices of the subgenus "Notoseila" are significant enough to treat it as a full genus, rather than subgenus. The other author/source who puts "Notoseila" in parentheses considers it to be a subgenus of the genus Seila. Same shells, difference of opinion as to where to break the genus.

Don

barbra · 04/17/2007, 04:52 PM

Well, if they are those snails *and* they eat sponges I have a decision to make. I like sponges. I suppose I will keep watching for awhile and see how it works out. Maybe the laws of supply and demand will intervene and they will starve themselves out.

I must admit that I am pretty tired of snails in general at this moment. I have been battling whelks for as long as I can recall now. I am running a special if you're interested, all you want for free sinced I seem to have birthed another batch of a hundred or so in the last month.

pagojoe · 04/17/2007, 05:11 PM

Heh, well if it's any consolation, the only sponges I ever saw the Cerithiopsis species feeding on were cryptic species that cover that bottoms of rocks, so you'd never see those sponges in a tank unless you flipped over your live rock... Which whelks are you fighting, and what are they eating?

04/16/2007, 09:39 PM	#1
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	Another Snail ID I have just recently found a group of about 5 of these snails. They hang out pretty much together, they don't travel around much, and they usually are stuck face first on this particular rock. Does anyone know what they are or what they are surviving on in my tank? They are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long and I can see nothing at all sticking out of the shell, it is impossible to tell what kind of a foot they have:

04/16/2007, 09:44 PM	#2
andrewr Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 203	could you get another picture because thats what my tank looks like after a night of Guiness __________________ "Yes, madam, I am drunk. But in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly." -Churchill Current Tank Info: 210 Oceanic SPS

04/16/2007, 10:37 PM	#4
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	Cerith maybe? __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

04/17/2007, 04:14 PM	#9
kingnai Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dunnellon, FL Posts: 1,464	any better pictures? __________________ Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them. Current Tank Info: 92 AGA Corner

04/16/2007, 09:56 PM	#3
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	Hah! I know what you mean. I will try tomorrow, but I doubt it will help much, I am just very poor at photographing my tank

04/17/2007, 07:43 AM	#6
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	Surely somebody knows what this think is?

04/17/2007, 10:21 AM	#7
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	Bump - Hey, West Coast people...Good Morning.....any ideas?

04/17/2007, 04:11 PM	#8
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	I hit all my first-line references looking for this one, but didn't find a perfect match. There actually are a couple species of orangish-brown ceriths that are this skinny, but if it's one of those, yours has to be a juvenile. Most (all?) juvenile ceriths have the little "stem" or columellar extension alongside the aperture, and your snail doesn't really look like it has that. It appears to have the shape of a Turritella, but they are larger shells, and the ones that look similar to yours are from areas that are not likely to be collected for the aquarium trade (west Africa). Some Turbonilla species also look similar, but I can't find an orange one, nor even a white one that matches the sculpture. My best guess, for the moment at least, is that it is a cerithiopsid. They don't get much larger than about half an inch, and most species are smaller than that. Orange is the most common color for this family, and they are generally shaped like your shell, even if most are skinnier. The family hasn't been extensively studied, but some are known to feed on sponges. It's likely that most if not all the others are also specialized sponge feeders. http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphot...CERITHIOPSIDAE http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...HIOPSINAE.html I'll let you know if I find anything else (or change my mind.... ) Cheers, Don

04/17/2007, 04:41 PM	#12
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	Yes, I also thought they looked like they were most likely Seila species. They are indeed the same snail, the difference being that one source believes the distinguishing characteristices of the subgenus "Notoseila" are significant enough to treat it as a full genus, rather than subgenus. The other author/source who puts "Notoseila" in parentheses considers it to be a subgenus of the genus Seila. Same shells, difference of opinion as to where to break the genus. Don

04/17/2007, 04:52 PM	#13
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	Well, if they are those snails and they eat sponges I have a decision to make. I like sponges. I suppose I will keep watching for awhile and see how it works out. Maybe the laws of supply and demand will intervene and they will starve themselves out. I must admit that I am pretty tired of snails in general at this moment. I have been battling whelks for as long as I can recall now. I am running a special if you're interested, all you want for free sinced I seem to have birthed another batch of a hundred or so in the last month.

04/17/2007, 05:11 PM	#14
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	Heh, well if it's any consolation, the only sponges I ever saw the Cerithiopsis species feeding on were cryptic species that cover that bottoms of rocks, so you'd never see those sponges in a tank unless you flipped over your live rock... Which whelks are you fighting, and what are they eating?