2 IDs Please

[rwhite]

I beleive they are both snails but I've never seen them before. I'll try to post some pics, but they're small and not always in view. One is a snail that has what looks like a long elephant-like trunk or snout. The shell is more or less spiral shaped.
The other is shaped like a cone with what appears to be a hole at the apex. I've never seen its foot, when I do see it, it's on LR.
The bigger question is are they harmful or benefical? Assuming they can be IDd by my descriptions.

 

[rwhite]

Think I got a couple of the first one.

 

[rwhite]

Trunk to the left.

 

[bang guy]

Buccinid Whelk.

 

[cprdnick]

My first guess was a whelk, but that's just because I've seen Bang I.D. ing these things all over the board.

 

[jawfishray]

http://nighthawk.tricity.wsu.edu/mus...uccinidae.html
There are quite a few features that match these guys, a good chance it is a Buccinidae.
Ray

 

[agro]

From your description of the second hitchhiker, it sounds like a keyhole limpet of some sort.

 

[cprdnick]

Man, did yall see that video of a whelk sucking up a goby on here a while back?

 

[rwhite]

A whelk, huh? So is it safe for my reef or do I need to go hunting? I also believe the second is a limpet; think I saw a photo in a reef book I was looking at, but didn't pay it any mind. I just couldn't remember the name, for some reason tunicate coming to me, but I just knew that wasn't right. Anyway, is it safe?

 

[sammystingray]

Nice shots Kip!

 

[rwhite]

Yes, excellent shots. That's it alright (wish my pics looked like that). Looks like I'm doing some hunting soon. I need my snails they're doing a great job for me (and getting bigger all the time). Thanks for the info; too bad tho, I love them hitchhikers! So, what about the limpet: safe or no?

 

[rwhite]

Yep, definitely him. Going to be a little harder to catch: It blends so well into the rock. Wish me luck and thanks for everybody's help on this. I think we can call this thread closed, unless there's some more advice out there.

 

[rwhite]

Thanks again. I'll try to "sneak" up on it if I can. Easier if it's on the move?? Of course, that's if I see it again anytime soon.

 

[bang guy]

Here's a picture of both of your hitchhikers together for one last meal.
The Whelk eating the Limpet...

 

[rwhite]

Oh my God! How and where did you get that picture? That's just one of the most amazing things we've ever seen. Bang Guy, you are a Reef Master! That pic makes me want to tear my tank apart to look for these guys.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by rwhite
How and where did you get that picture?
This was a picture from one of my refugiums a couple of years ago.

 

[rwhite]

Thanks, Bang. You've been a big help. Can't wait to see what other pics you have in store for us.

 

[jawfishray]

Bang and others,
I am curious as to the actual details of limpets and keyholes, Archaeogastropoda, eating corals. Their whole niche in life is the slow life of creeping along grazing vegi mater and any detris caught within the same. I have found no evidence that limpets eat corals.
You would think since they can be found in the thousands along most rocky shorelines that if they were coral eaters they would wipe out the coral by ganging up and munching away like slow moving sharks.
By all means, if anyone thinks that some fauna is questionable, remove it. But I see no actual reasons to remove a proven algae eater. Nearly all the more primitive gastropods specialize on grazing algae. Would be rather interesting to see proof otherwise. Maybe being in a secluded environment causes a variance in behavior.
hmmm
Ray

 

[bang guy]

Hi Ray,
Keyhole Limpets are not true limpets so you'll need to narrow your search away from the true limpets.
Keyholes are excellent algae grazers and I've even seen them eat hair and bryopsis.
Another valuable trait that I've witnessed is that they will completely consume Hydroids for some bizzare reason. As far as corals, I've seen them take the skin off of healthy leather corals at the base of the coral. This seems to do only minor harm but I can understand someone removing them for that reason.
I keep them in my system but they have not been reproducing. The True limpets have been reproducing fine though.

 

[rwhite]

Bump for Waterfaller.