Critter ID Help: Trying to find a culprit of mayhem!

robojet · 07/31/2008, 07:34 PM

I've lost many snails and 2 clams... and I'm trying to sort through a few critters in my tank to determine what could have possibly done this.

Can anyone help me with these:

I believe this is a harmless stomatella:

I seen this snail for the first time yesterday...

I found this worm being chewed on by a small blue legged hermit crab today:

If anyone is interested... I captured what I believe is the stomatella doing his little propogation thing (or at least that's what I think). It's only 20 seconds:
Google Video-Stomatella Propogating

Thanks for your help!

mhills16 · 07/31/2008, 08:48 PM

the second snail maybe the culprit

robojet · 07/31/2008, 08:51 PM

Just additional info... the 2nd photo of the snail... it's about 3/8" long.

pagojoe · 07/31/2008, 08:58 PM

I don't think you've found the culprit yet, keep looking... and look for a flowing, brown-spotted, paper-thin, wispy polyclad flatworm about four inches long.

Cheers,

Don

mhills16 · 07/31/2008, 09:13 PM

the only reason i suggested the snail, is because it commonly looks like the non carniverous one, but it could be one, and they will eat other snails, i do not know the speciea name but i am sure someone here will know it, also , we will have to see it out of the shell to id it.

robojet · 07/31/2008, 09:43 PM

I've got a few xtra photos of the snail... is it a whelk? If so, could this be the critter that took out 2 clams and many snails? How quickly can it do this?

Thanks for your help!!!

mhills16 · 07/31/2008, 10:05 PM

yes that looks like the carniverous one that is often mixed in with the regular sand sifting scavengers at lfs. but i am no expert here, but it does look like the bad one, im sure someone will second me on this!

VacavilleFC3S · 08/01/2008, 12:17 PM

yeah looks like a whelk to me, also the first picture is not a stomatella as far as i can tell,

pagojoe · 08/01/2008, 02:05 PM

http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_3305.html

robojet · 08/01/2008, 03:17 PM

OK... I'm convinced it's a whelk, and this is what is responsible for the untimely death of my 2 clams and many snails. I have only seen this one and it has been removed. I have been spending late nights and middle of the nights, checking and looking for more but have not spotted any additional. What is the chances that this is the only one???

pagojoe · 08/01/2008, 03:37 PM

Nah, it's not a whelk, it's Ilyanassa obsoleta. It's in the whelk family, as are all Nassarius, but it's not what's killing your snails and clams.

Cheers,

Don

Reefmack · 08/01/2008, 05:41 PM

Try this:

Ilyanassa obsoleta

No mention of preying on clams.

robojet · 08/03/2008, 12:23 AM

Found this guy tonight... was absolutely shocked... never seen it before... is this the thing I've been looking for??? Should I be looking for more?

Polyclad...

Reefmack · 08/03/2008, 05:55 AM

It's a large and predatory flatworm, and most likely it's your problem:

Predatory flatworm - Melev's Reef Info.

"If you see this enormous flatworm in your tank, siphon it out. It is a predatory flatworm, and its food is often clam flesh. Their pattern is designed to act as a camoflage to match the mantle on a clam, so it can park on the animal as it consumes it. Not Reef-safe."

I'm not an expert on these things, but IMO get rid of it and keep an eye out for more.

Melev has a very nice ID site to bookmark:

Melev's ID site

Hopefully you have no more of these.

pagojoe · 08/03/2008, 10:58 AM

Yep, that's the one you were looking for, congratulations. You could have more of them, but they don't infest a tank like the acoel flatworms. There's a decent chance you got the only one, and your molluscs can live in peace now.

Cheers,

Don

robojet · 08/03/2008, 11:22 AM

Thank you everyone for your help! I'll continue to keep an eye out for more, just in case.

THANKS!!!

skippy2 · 08/03/2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by robojet
Found this guy tonight... was absolutely shocked... never seen it before... is this the thing I've been looking for??? Should I be looking for more?

Polyclad...

A friend of mine found 1 in his tank but in taking it out, he ripped it in half. Will the half that was left in the tank regenerate?

07/31/2008, 07:34 PM	#1
robojet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,222	Critter ID Help: Trying to find a culprit of mayhem! I've lost many snails and 2 clams... and I'm trying to sort through a few critters in my tank to determine what could have possibly done this. Can anyone help me with these: I believe this is a harmless stomatella: I seen this snail for the first time yesterday... I found this worm being chewed on by a small blue legged hermit crab today: If anyone is interested... I captured what I believe is the stomatella doing his little propogation thing (or at least that's what I think). It's only 20 seconds: Google Video-Stomatella Propogating Thanks for your help!

07/31/2008, 08:51 PM	#3
robojet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,222	Just additional info... the 2nd photo of the snail... it's about 3/8" long. __________________ Member: SCMAS Current Tank Info: 90g LeeMar with Starphire front, coast-to-coast overflow, Vortechs, ATB 840 v1.5

08/01/2008, 03:17 PM	#10
robojet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,222	OK... I'm convinced it's a whelk, and this is what is responsible for the untimely death of my 2 clams and many snails. I have only seen this one and it has been removed. I have been spending late nights and middle of the nights, checking and looking for more but have not spotted any additional. What is the chances that this is the only one??? __________________ Member: SCMAS Current Tank Info: 90g LeeMar with Starphire front, coast-to-coast overflow, Vortechs, ATB 840 v1.5

08/03/2008, 12:23 AM	#13
robojet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,222	So... did my late nights finally pay off? Found this guy tonight... was absolutely shocked... never seen it before... is this the thing I've been looking for??? Should I be looking for more? Polyclad...

08/03/2008, 05:55 AM	#14
Reefmack Moved On Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 3,412	It's a large and predatory flatworm, and most likely it's your problem: Predatory flatworm - Melev's Reef Info. "If you see this enormous flatworm in your tank, siphon it out. It is a predatory flatworm, and its food is often clam flesh. Their pattern is designed to act as a camoflage to match the mantle on a clam, so it can park on the animal as it consumes it. Not Reef-safe." I'm not an expert on these things, but IMO get rid of it and keep an eye out for more. Melev has a very nice ID site to bookmark: Melev's ID site Hopefully you have no more of these. Last edited by Reefmack; 08/03/2008 at 06:00 AM.

07/31/2008, 08:48 PM	#2
mhills16 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: hopkinsville, ky Posts: 670	the second snail maybe the culprit

07/31/2008, 08:58 PM	#4
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	I don't think you've found the culprit yet, keep looking... and look for a flowing, brown-spotted, paper-thin, wispy polyclad flatworm about four inches long. Cheers, Don

07/31/2008, 09:13 PM	#5
mhills16 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: hopkinsville, ky Posts: 670	the only reason i suggested the snail, is because it commonly looks like the non carniverous one, but it could be one, and they will eat other snails, i do not know the speciea name but i am sure someone here will know it, also , we will have to see it out of the shell to id it.

07/31/2008, 09:43 PM	#6
robojet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,222	I've got a few xtra photos of the snail... is it a whelk? If so, could this be the critter that took out 2 clams and many snails? How quickly can it do this? Thanks for your help!!!

07/31/2008, 10:05 PM	#7
mhills16 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: hopkinsville, ky Posts: 670	yes that looks like the carniverous one that is often mixed in with the regular sand sifting scavengers at lfs. but i am no expert here, but it does look like the bad one, im sure someone will second me on this!

08/01/2008, 12:17 PM	#8
VacavilleFC3S Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vacaville California Posts: 2,613	yeah looks like a whelk to me, also the first picture is not a stomatella as far as i can tell,

08/01/2008, 02:05 PM	#9
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_3305.html

08/01/2008, 03:37 PM	#11
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	Nah, it's not a whelk, it's Ilyanassa obsoleta. It's in the whelk family, as are all Nassarius, but it's not what's killing your snails and clams. Cheers, Don

08/01/2008, 05:41 PM	#12
Reefmack Moved On Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 3,412	Try this: Ilyanassa obsoleta No mention of preying on clams.

08/03/2008, 10:58 AM	#15
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	Yep, that's the one you were looking for, congratulations. You could have more of them, but they don't infest a tank like the acoel flatworms. There's a decent chance you got the only one, and your molluscs can live in peace now. Cheers, Don

08/03/2008, 11:22 AM	#16
robojet Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,222	Thank you everyone for your help! I'll continue to keep an eye out for more, just in case. THANKS!!! __________________ Member: SCMAS Current Tank Info: 90g LeeMar with Starphire front, coast-to-coast overflow, Vortechs, ATB 840 v1.5