Anyone Know What This Is??

[es355lucille]

I noticed something small and black back a month or so.....but it ducked into the rocks. Now its larger and seems to have a different style shell than the other snails I have seen.

Anyone know what this is?


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu279/es355lucille/IMG_0388.jpg

[justinl]

how small is small? go look up stomatella snails... i think that's what we're looking at.

[xtreme]

I can't tell for sure from the picture. Does it look like this?

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=scutus

[JTaylor420]

i have one of those in my tank from that link maybe he's my problem with eating zoa's =(

[es355lucille]

Justinl, that could be it. Mine has a shell like these....the ones I seen on the web were not black, but I am sure there are lot of varieties.

He looks like a slug....but a half shell covering. He is approx 1/4" wide and 1/2" long......if this is the same one (maybe there are more!) he was 1/4 of this size a month ago.


how small is small? go look up stomatella snails... i think that's what we're looking at.

[es355lucille]

Xtreme he looks a lot like this, but I think my guy has a shell. (Like a 1/2 shell on top) Its had to tell as he is a matte black color all over.....hard to see where one end starts and ends.

I can't tell for sure from the picture. Does it look like this?

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=scutus

[xtreme]

They have flaps of skin that cover the shell. Sometimes it is visible though.

[Tarolisol]

im pretty sure its a keyhole limpet. sometimes it will have a white patch on its back. They are harmless.

[albert_dao]

Stomatella, not elephant slug. You can tell by the tentacles extending from the mantel. They're like a mini-abalone. Harmless, beneficial algae eater that will reproduce readily.

[Myka]

That's a Stomatella, they come in the basic brown color and this black color. I have both kinds. They are my favourite snail, plus they are one of the few that successfully reprocude in our tanks. :)

[justinl]

I think my guy has a shell. (Like a 1/2 shell on top) Its had to tell as he is a matte black color all over.....hard to see where one end starts and ends.

that pretty much describes stomatella spp. It's not a keyhole limpet btw. Limpet mantles don't cover their shell (at least none of the ones I know of).

[TVR]

im pretty sure its a keyhole limpet. sometimes it will have a white patch on its back. They are harmless.

If so, thanks for both the question and the answer - Because I have 2 of those hickhike with the rock when I bought some corals last month. I was really small and now almost about 1/2 inches. Still in there :smile:

[es355lucille]

Yes Justinl --> I am sure now that they (I found another one while searching for the first one) are stomatella. Very cool when you look at them through a magnifying glass.

Thanks everyone!!

that pretty much describes stomatella spp. It's not a keyhole limpet btw. Limpet mantles don't cover their shell (at least none of the ones I know of).

[Tarolisol]

If so, thanks for both the question and the answer - Because I have 2 of those hickhike with the rock when I bought some corals last month. I was really small and now almost about 1/2 inches. Still in there :smile:

http://www.csproductions.org/images/channel_is_6x4/keyhole_limpet_206_1.jpg
Keyhole limpet