Attack Of The Weird Thing

[bayondai]

Ok, some new creatures have appeared tonight in my reef. I just posted the snail I found tonight and I just found this thing in my overflow. The pictures aren't really that great but it was the best I could do with the angle I had to shoot them from. This thing is about a 1/2" or so and moves pretty damn fast for a snail/slug. I thought it didn't have a hard shell at first, but I think it might. If it is a shell on top it is black with tan spots almost hairy or spiked like a porcupine. It also looks rough like an oyster. It has 2 eyes and a snail looking mouth and he was munching away at the detritus at the bottom of the overflow. I am guessing that he and the snail were in the tank for a while and are reef safe because the only thing I added recently was a small frag and some sea lettuce and they are to big for me not to notice them. Any idea what this is?

 

[reefNewbie]

limpet? maybe, i dont no i cant tell!

 

[Chucker]

Sure looks a lot like Stomatella, which is in the HHFAQ.

 

[Wrassman]

Do you think it could be this?

That is a Scutus unguis, or what the Germans call, "schwarze Fingernagelschnecke," (Black Fingernail Snail). They get pretty large, but they are reef-safe. Most people who do have them are very fond of them.

HTH

 

[bayondai]

I just looked at pictures of the Scutus unguis and the Stomatella and I don't think it is either. If you look at the pictures starting at the head shot then to the back shot you will see that he ate that much detritus in about 10 seconds. After I posted the pictures I thought hey maybe I should try and catch him to get a better pic and remove it incase it is not reef safe, but of course he was no where to be found about 5 minutes later. My overflow is real tight anyways. I don't know how I would have grabbed it.

 

[Will C1]

i have a couple of these in my reef also, does it seem to have a half shell on its back? and a soft under belly? mine eat algea and havent bothered a thing im not sure what they are probably some sort of snail, but they do a number on the algea and ditritus.

 

[bayondai]

It did look like it has a half shell on it's back. When I first saw it, it wasn't facing me. I saw it's side and thought it was some kind of nudibranch. Hopefully I see him again so I can try and get a better picture.

 

[LFS42]

they come in many different colors.
I love them in my tank, but they can multiply like pond snails in a freshwater tank.

 

[Reefguide]

I love mine... Mine is a Black Limphet... And your right they grow like mad !!! from a 1/4" to over 1" in less than a year !

 

[Entacmaea]

Looks like a cowrie to me. I had one in my tank, way cool.

 

[bayondai]

I was thinking that it might be a cowrie, but I haven't seen it since Thursday.

 

[bayondai]

I haven't seen this guy in a few weeks. I guess he made it down into my sump. Here are 2 more pictures from the top. Excuse the totally gross glass, after all it is my sump/fuge.

 

[Anonymous]

my guess is a Stomatella snail, looks a little like an abalone, but isn't. They are very beneficial and reproduce well.

 

[mickadee]

I have a ton of them in my tank so many I cant count them anymore.
I cant get a good picture of mine but they are Stomatella snail IMO
Mike

 

[Anonymous]

It is a animalicuseetisatta. Glad I could help! I can Identify anything on this and any other planet. Have Fun!

 

[Chucker]

Simple test - give it a little tap on the back. If the fleshy covering recedes on both sides of the shell, you've likely got a cowrie.