Cream of Wheat Nudibranch?

cysco1187

cysco1187

Member
When I woke up this morning, I saw what I thought was one of my nassarius snails without its shell. I have two and I was able to see the one's horn sticking through the sand, but didn't see the other (I was in a rush to get to work) and I saw what I thought was my snail without his shell but it had no horn. It was white with tiny light brown spots, almost like Cream of Wheat looks. Is this a nudibranch or my snail? If its my snail, where did his shell go and is it bad that its gone? PLEASE HELP! Also, my crab died.
 
cysco1187

cysco1187

Member
Don't mean to sound like an idiot, but I didn't buy one. Could it have come on the LR? This is the first I'm seeing it if it is and it doesn't look like the pics, it looks more like a nudibranch to me. If it is my nassarius snail, wouldn't I see the horn still attached?
 
cysco1187

cysco1187

Member
So I saw both of my nassarius snails last night so I'm assuming I have a Stomatella Snail, even though it doesn't look like that. I was also wondering if one of the nassarius snails somehow got out of his shell and then got back in it but I read that once they separate from the shell, the can't go back so IDK.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
There is another animal that fits your description, Flatworms. These animals are predators and are generally considered undesirable.

And, yes, it could be a type of Nudibranch but those usually have rows of gills along their back and don't look like a Snail.

Usually, if a Snail is somehow separated from their shell they don't live long. There have been exceptions but they are so vulnerable without their shell they are easy pickings for a fish. A Snail would not voluntarily leave it's shell, something would have to pluck it out.

Flatworm:

 
cysco1187

cysco1187

Member
The shape is right but it was more white, not so see through and the brown spots were really tiny. I 've only seen it once and can't find it now...why are they predatory?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
These come in thousands of shapes & colors so identifying one by description would be impossible.

They eat anything in the sand or rocks slow enough for them to catch and small enough for them to wrap up. Snails are a typical prey but some of the more colorful ones often eat coral or sponges.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
When they showed up in my tank I removed them because I liked the variety of Snails I kept. As you can imagine they are not easy to catch.
 
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