Are these whelks??

[yanni]

Hey all,

I have 2 nassarius snails in my tank at the moment. Both are fairly quick at feeding time, come veering straight for mysis, and when my turbos occasionally fall over, will come investigate if it’s been turned over for a while.

My strombus this morning wasn’t moving a whole lot, very retracted in its shell, was responsive to light and not much else. I left it, came back a few hours later to both snails inside it’s shell basically!! They’re probably just scavenging a free meal off a sick/distressed snail, but ya never know. They’re both super fast, and love a feast.

 

[yanni]

They have plain coloured “feet?” Shell is dark on one, but striped on the other, and the snorkel is lightly splotchy. Also have a lil greenish piece on the back of their foot?

 

[Stomatopods17]

Nass are whelks so technically yes.

If its predatory I'm not sure, IME the predatory whelks tend to stay out more and in the rock work while nass you only see during feeding/night time and stay buried.

I'm leaning towards no off visuals alone but predatory whelks and safe whelks look so similar you'd need a trained eye to ID them. I also ain't too sure if they are capable of taking down a snail that big, most predatory snails either are huge and go after smaller beneficial ones or get caught in the mix and just kill off each other (in this case, if one of those nassarius are rouge it'd kill the others first and maybe a couple batches before you realize).

 

[yanni]

Nass are whelks so technically yes.

If its predatory I'm not sure, IME the predatory whelks tend to stay out more and in the rock work while nass you only see during feeding/night time and stay buried.

I'm leaning towards no off visuals alone but predatory whelks and safe whelks look so similar you'd need a trained eye to ID them. I also ain't too sure if they are capable of taking down a snail that big, most predatory snails either are huge and go after smaller beneficial ones or get caught in the mix and just kill off each other (in this case, if one of those nassarius are rouge it'd kill the others first and maybe a couple batches before you realize).

Ahh okay I see. I genuinely only see them at feeding time, or super occasionally inbetween if they’re out exploring for some reason (they crawl up the glass at night sometimes).

Based off what you’re saying, I’m reluctant to think their whelks then. The stromb was fairly large, and seemed sickly this morning. All my small snails are fine until they fall off the glass and eventually stress out and die? and then made a meal out of. Thanks mate

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey all,

I have 2 nassarius snails in my tank at the moment. Both are fairly quick at feeding time, come veering straight for mysis, and when my turbos occasionally fall over, will come investigate if it’s been turned over for a while.

My strombus this morning wasn’t moving a whole lot, very retracted in its shell, was responsive to light and not much else. I left it, came back a few hours later to both snails inside it’s shell basically!! They’re probably just scavenging a free meal off a sick/distressed snail, but ya never know. They’re both super fast, and love a feast.

I think the smooth one is a Nassarius. The other.. I think is a whelk.
Have you looked for images to compare?

Just found this, haven't even read it yet.

Whelk versus Nassarius | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

Welp, I'm not sure now with your pics.

 

[yanni]

I think the smooth one is a Nassarius. The other.. I think is a whelk.
Have you looked for images to compare?

Just found this, haven't even read it yet.

Whelk versus Nassarius | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

Welp, I'm not sure now with your pics.

Ahh I just read it. The smaller one with the textured shell stays submerged all the time…I think they’re just nassarius and I’m a bit paranoid. Dealing w cyano which may be making my snails sick

He doesn’t display any she’ll like behaviour except for the eating of the stromb

 

[vetteguy53081]

Its nassarius. Whelk will have a dark and tatooed snout and a trailing tail as in pic below. As Deburr said- color difference:

Whelk on the right

 

[Dburr1014]

Its nassarius. Whelk will have a dark and tatooed snout and a trailing tail as in pic below. As Deburr said- color difference:

Whelk on the right

Yup, that Pic is on melevsreef.com site.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

I think your nassarius snails are tongan or "super"

Mine are very quick to pick off a shrimp or snail in distress. I don't think they are necessarily predatory, but if a shrimp has a bad molt they will consider it meal time.

It's hard to prove that the animal they target would have survived whatever condition they were going through when they attack, but my coral banded shrimp was absolutely still alive while they were eating it, he died shortly after though.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yup, that Pic is on melevsreef.com site.

and yahoo. Its the best comparison pic out there

 

[yanni]

and yahoo. Its the best comparison pic out there

Ah yeah. I think im in the clear. May just have a hungry fella on my hands who got an easy meal

 

[yanni]

I think your nassarius snails are tongan or "super"

Mine are very quick to pick off a shrimp or snail in distress. I don't think they are necessarily predatory, but if a shrimp has a bad molt they will consider it meal time.

It's hard to prove that the animal they target would have survived whatever condition they were going through when they attack, but my coral banded shrimp was absolutely still alive while they were eating it, he died shortly after though.

I guess ultimately they’re just doing their jobs though. In the wild they eat when they eat, if it’s a meal, it’s a meal. Nas snails are all ultimately carnivorous , just depends on how aggressive they are abt it. I think it’s just a hungry opportunist nas, not a whelk tho after this info