Is this a reef safe snail?? What is it?

[reefersRus]

Does anyone know what this snail is? I found it on some live rock. It never goes in the sand. Just stays on the rock. Is it reef safe?

Thank you for your help.

[reefersRus]

P.S. the snail's tube is checkered black and white. The shell it striped and fuzzy. No it is not algea, I checked. It is like little bristles in rowes with the color(wierd)

[cbrooks]

It looks like a nassarius snail with that antenna sticking out, in which case it is reef safe, although after looking at mine they don't seem to have the stiped shell or checks on the antenna, so I can't be sure.

[reefersRus]

It is definatly not a nassarius snail. This is only alike in that the tube sticks up.

[Jason McKenzie]

Looks like a Nassarius to me
But the syphon is speckled so I'm not sure.

J

[reefersRus]

I know, that is what threw me off. Also it does not go in the sand bed. It just stays on the live rock. And I have never seen a snail have a bristled shell.

[geekdafied]

looks like a mitre snail.

[pagojoe]

Hey reefersRus,

Your snail is a juvenile buccinid whelk, Cantharus (Pollia) undosus (or Pollia undosa, if you accept Pollia as a full genus). This species gets a flared lip when it reaches adulthood, as in the link below. It won't bother your corals, but may attack and kill any snails that you have in your tank.

Pollia undosa

Cheers,



Don

[JK901]

I think there might be multiple types of nassarius. I bought some from reefscavengers.com and they looked just like what you posted. I also got some from my LFS and they were Pacific nassarius and they were much bigger, very fast, and had a long white antenna.

[antonym518]

if in doubt KILL IT!!!!!!