Strange snails in the moonlight

I've had reef tanks for two years and have always had moonlights so I can see the fish and inverts in their nocturnal state. I was somewhat taken aback by the way these two snails went foraging for food. I thought I'd share the experience and if anybody know what kind of snails I have? I've never seen the snoot on them like that of an ant-eater. Curious about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTgF682ysGM

 

nassarious vibex

reef safe. not really a detrivore but still a great part of a CUC because they consume larger pieces of uneaten food

 

Hey thanks for the info. Cool looking snails.

 

It has an awfully extended siphonal canal for a Nassarius. It's either a Gemophos or Pollia species, both of which are predatory (read: buccinid whelk). Hard to tell without true color pics, but it's probably Gemophos tinctus.

Gemophos tinctus

Cheers,



Don

 

Predatary! To other snails? Hermits? I already have a mantis shrimp that came in on a rock. Life is scary in the tank....

 

+1 on that. That snail in the video looks EXACTLY like my Nassarious Vibex snails. Completely reef safe.

 

i would go with pagojoe on this one... he is THE expert after all!

 

pagojoe is always pretty spot on, get a daylight shot of them so he can be 100 pwecwnt sure

 

They won't eat your hermits or mantis shrimp, but are known to other snails as well as barnacles, and some related species will eat worms. The main concern is usually that they will eat the members of your molluscan cleanup crew.

Cheers,



Don

 

I agree with Nassarius vibex. I used to have a bunch. They'd rise out of the sand all over the place when I'd feed the tank. I used to hum ""The Ride of the Valkyries" every time . They would also eat anything that was injured or dead (they didn't wait for the injured to die *shudder*). I even have pics of one that somehow lost its shell. It didn't last long. Definitely a great cleanup crew for big chunks of food, but would also steal anything that hit the bottom before anything else could get there.