Can anyone help me with this, I intended to take a picture but by the time I had got my camera the darn thing was hiding.

I have found a small snail in my reef tank. It's about 1cm shell length, very vivid black and white spots on the shell and also the snail itself is the same mottled colour when it appeared from the shell.

As soon as I see it again I will take a picture.

Thanks

Does the snail move around with it's shell on it's edge? Is the snail shell kind of flat?

no it's kinda a long shell, pointed. I'm thinking it might be some sort of cone snail but dont want to jump to any conclusions.

The black and white spot contrasts are very defined, no drifting into browns like in your picture. Thanks for your reply

Then it's probably a hitch hiker cerith... lemme see if I can grab a pic of the ones I got lately. They sound like ceriths from your description.

look here, do any of these look like it?
Project DIBS Forums - DIBSSpeciesPrices (http://www.projectdibs.com/forums/misc.php?do=page&template=DIBSSpeciesPrices)

I couldn't get a pic. Placed him in a dish of water and he just walked away. Still can't find him.

The shell shape is similar to the cerith sp#2 in Robs post but the colors are different. There are 3 of them now.

I'm guessing from what you guys have said they are cerith's. I can't get a decent picture though cos they are too small

on the top of my head, im thinking of vemetid snail, cerith snail or pyramidal snail.

do a google img search of snails and see which one looks like the one u saw

It's not a vermetid because they are tube worms. It's not a Pyramid because they are smaller than 1 cm and they do not have the coloring described.

yes, its likely a Cerith, you can get some good info on the Project DIBS (http://www.projectdibs.com) website. they are a species that is good to have and known to breed in captivity.. feel free to contact BrianPlankis (founder of Project DIBS) im sure he would welcome another breeder if you are interested.. :)

I think the description so far is too vague to guess at the type of snail it might be, although odds are good it could be a small cerith as they are common hitchhikers.

But a picture, or a least a comparison to a picture is needed. You mention it looking like Cerith #2, so that is good, but there are MANY other genus of snails that have that same general shape of shell. Most of them good, but some bad.

A couple of questions that might help:

1. Can you see any visible eyes when the snail is cruising around the tank (with tiny snails like this you need to find them when they are on the glass).

2. Do you see the snail grazing on the rocks? Do they appear to be attempting to eat algae or something on the surface of the rocks?

3. Do you see a mouth actively trying to feed on the glass/rock?

Brian

maby nassarious? there shells are kinda pointy. maby a tonga species. unless it's a small conch. i'd be interested in a small conch... ;)

i think what it domes down to, is that in order for us to get ANY more specific, we will need an image to work from

Yeah I agree an image is needed, I will try to isolate one of them over the weekend and see if I can get a decent picture.

There are a few of them have appeared now.

To Id a snail take a pic of the front... like ya would if it were crawlign along... and then flip it over, make it retract and take a pic of it's "doorway".

http://www.edac-solutions.co.uk/snail.JPGI finally managed to get a picture of this thing so here it is, Hope it helps

Well now... look at that. There's only one? Grab him out while you see him. He's looking like some sort of whelk. Whelks are typically not a great snail. Like the bumblebee snail.

How could is that old camera of yours :-) If you could take him out, tickle him so he goes all the way in and then snap a pic it would be great. And then flip him over and get one of the shell.

That's definately not a cerith.

Ya guys think that could be a Columbellid snail.

I'm not an expert but I think he is too elongated.

i'm thinking whelk, based on the shape and the siphon. definitely not a Cerith.

Definitely not a Cerith, I would lean towards Columbellid more than Whelk, but I've never seen that coloration on the shell before.

Take a look at this thread for more pictures of Columbellids:

Columbellid sp. (Easy) - Project DIBS Forums (http://www.projectdibs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29)

If you can get a picture of it out of water with the snail withdrawn, in this orientation then it would be very helpful an ID:

http://www.projectdibs.com/forums/images/ProjectDIBS/DIBSInverts/Gastropods/20070221ColumbellidApeture2.JPG

Brian

PS. I hope you didn't kill it yet, I'm fairly certain that is a Columbellid.

Of all the snails I've had a collected I've never seen this one up for sale or as a hitchhiker. What type of rock do they tend to come in on?

Of all the snails I've had a collected I've never seen this one up for sale or as a hitchhiker. What type of rock do they tend to come in on?

They aren't as common a hitchhiker as cerith sp. snails, but they are a very widespread snail in the Pacific ocean. Assuming this snail is either Euplica scripta or Euplica varians (the most likely possibilties), they have been reported in many locations across the Pacific.

Interesting this came up, I just printed out a new article about them today and it lists one museum's locality data on E. scripta. The snail has been reported in:

Japan, Indonesia, East Timor, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

Tonga is a common source for live rock, so it certainly could have come from there. These snails are able to survive short periods out of water, so it is a possible hitchhiker. I should also note it is a great snail, loves to eat diatoms and film algae. Not a fabulously strong grazer, but it won't harm anything.

I'm not saying this snail IS E. scripta or E. varians, but if it is it is fun to watch.

Brian

I have to get my hands on some to have a look.

as soon as I can get him out I will take some more pictures but he has vanished into the rock again now

are you gonna kill it!? sell it, giv it to a friend or somethin. i hate it when people kill snails just cause there not wanted. i know it souds wierd, but look at my name. i even get sad when i find a dead ramhorn in my tank.....

if i could get my parents to let me i would even take him if your gonna kill'em.

he is cool...

here i go again rambling about how i like snails.......... :|