What snail is this?

[Boomer]

You have to look and take into account the "erosion" rate of the shell and is why I posted the pics I did. Fresh uneroded shells will look different.

Summary: The gastropods Stramonita haemastoma (Muricidae), Morula nodulosa (Muricidae), Leucozonia trap (Fasciolariidae), and Pisania auritula (Buccinidae), coexist in the intertidal rocky coastline of Brazil, forming a guild that operates sés arrested six or little mobility . The diets of the 4 species were quantitatively analyzed and compared with the abundance of prey in 3 different locations of the Canal of San Sebastian, Brazil. The distribution of predators was also studied. Indices of overlapping Schoener to diet and use of habitat have taken clear that there is a strong sharing of resources between these gastropods in the intertidal region. S. haemastoma and M. nodulosa explored mainly the areas of mediolitoral lower and higher respectively, while L.nassa and P. auritula preferably occupied the fringes of sublitoral. An analysis of diet indicated a marked degree of overlap of niche between the first pair of species, although they eat in different habitats and eat prey of different sizes. The 4 species exhibited broad diets. S. haemastoma consumed mainly molluscs, M. nodulosa explored small barnacles and shellfish, while L.nassa, and P. auritula ingested preferably barnacles large and poliquetos. The muricídeos showed low selectivity of prey exploring the majority of food items according to their availability in the environment. The sharing of habitat is as important as the sharing of food in the structuring of the guild of gastropods predators. Flexibility in the diet is an adaptive strategy under conditions of uncertainty over the site of recruitment of prey and predators, coupled with cycles of larval dispersal over long distances. The analysis of correlation between morphology and diet radular not produced significant results, indicating that the rádula structure is a conservative, remaining as a useful tool for determining systematic relationship between species, genera and families

Abstract: The gastropods Stramonita haemastoma (Muricidae), Morula nodulosa (Muricidae), Leucozonia trap (Fasciolariidae), and Pisania auritula (Buccinidae), coexist in Brazilian intertidal rocky shores, constituting a guild which exploits sessile or slow mobile prey. Diets of the 4 species were quantitatively analyzed and compared with prey abundance in 3 different sites of St. Sebastian Channel, SP, Brazil. Predator distribution was also studied. Schoener 's overlap indices for diet and habitat usage showed that there was strong resource partitioning among those gastropods in the intertidal. S. haemastoma and M. nodulosa mainly exploited the lower and upper midlittoral zones respectively, while L.nassa, and P. auritula preferentially exploited the sublittoral fringe. Diet analysis indicated a marked niche overlap between the first pair of species, although they fed in distinct habitats and ate prey of different sizes. The 4 species exhibited a broad diet. S. haemastoma consumed mainly molluscs, M. nodulosa exploited small barnacles and bivalves, whereas L.nassa, and P. auritula ingested preferentially large barnac1es and polychaetes. The muricids showed low prey selectivity exploiting the majority of prey according to their availability in the environment. Habitat partitioning is as important as food partitioning in structuring this predatory gastropod Guild. Diet flexibility is an adaptive strategy in conditions of uncertainty recruitment site for predators and prey, associated to long distance larval dispersal cyc1es. The correlation analysis between radular morphology and diet presented a non significant result, indicating that the radula is a conservative structure, remaining as a useful tool for the systematic assessment of relationship among species, genera, and families

 

[Boomer]

There is also more than one species and they look the same and may even be the same IMHO. Look at Leucozonia ponderosa. Click on the next numbered block. I also see in one block it also looks like Latirus vermeiji So, Nikki was on target after all.

http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphotos/thumbpage.asp?family=FASCIOLARIIDAE&NAV=45

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Way cool, also look at Leucozonia trindadensis.
Seems they prefer slow and or sessile mollusks such as barnacles etc.
Might be interesting to see what it will feed on in a home reef.
Perhaps buy it a mussel

 

[rjarnold]

Way cool, also look at Leucozonia trindadensis.
Seems they prefer slow and or sessile mollusks such as barnacles etc.
Might be interesting to see what it will feed on in a home reef.
Perhaps buy it a mussel

Ahhhh! My poor limpets!

 

[Boomer]

Yes Mike see my edit above there are also others.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

So, Nikki was on target after all.

Was a bullseye!

 

[NaH2O]

Thanks for checking on that, Boomer.

rjarnold - It could be possible it has been feeding on other inverts in the tank (you posted limpets), not necessarily the "big snails" that you are counting. Don't forget our tanks are full of tons of critters. Even those tiny snails that come out at night (the ones most folks think are "baby turbos"), could be getting preyed upon. In one of the references Boomer put up, it mentions polychaetes as a food source for 2 species of snails. Some may cheer at this possibility. I'm sure there are plenty of food choices in a closed system for this guy, not to mention any meaty fare you feed your tank that gets left over. It kind of reminds me of the Bumble Bee snail (and even narssarius for that matter) that people buy for clean-up. It isn't algae cleaning up they do, but more of left over food cleaning up. You would have to take into consideration what you find beneficial in your system, and if it is worth this snail hanging out in the display or in the sump. The other thing you could do is look for someone with a mantis shrimp, and send it to them for food. A friend of mine that kept "Tim the Supermantis" on RC (may Tim RIP), used to have folks on RC send him all kinds of treats for Tim the mantis, such as snails and hitchhiking crabs.

 

[Boomer]

You Bet Nikki

 

[rjarnold]

Thanks for checking on that, Boomer.

rjarnold - It could be possible it has been feeding on other inverts in the tank (you posted limpets), not necessarily the "big snails" that you are counting. Don't forget our tanks are full of tons of critters. Even those tiny snails that come out at night (the ones most folks think are "baby turbos"), could be getting preyed upon. In one of the references Boomer put up, it mentions polychaetes as a food source for 2 species of snails. Some may cheer at this possibility. I'm sure there are plenty of food choices in a closed system for this guy, not to mention any meaty fare you feed your tank that gets left over. It kind of reminds me of the Bumble Bee snail (and even narssarius for that matter) that people buy for clean-up. It isn't algae cleaning up they do, but more of left over food cleaning up. You would have to take into consideration what you find beneficial in your system, and if it is worth this snail hanging out in the display or in the sump. The other thing you could do is look for someone with a mantis shrimp, and send it to them for food. A friend of mine that kept "Tim the Supermantis" on RC (may Tim RIP), used to have folks on RC send him all kinds of treats for Tim the mantis, such as snails and hitchhiking crabs.

There's really not a lot in the tank yet since it's not very established. I haven't seen any 'baby' snails of any type at this point, but my limpets were my main worry, since they're nocturnal and black, therefore hard to find. I have already captured the snail though... I don't have a sump and want to take him back to the store where I bought my 'cerith' snails and return him and the empty shell I received for two 'real' and 'living' ceriths