I thought I bought a Hermit..... ID please

[urbanhellfire]

Hello
I just brought home about 6 various snails and 6 various hermits.
One of the " Hermits " is not a hermit at all. As you can see in the picture it has a long black "trunk" type thing and two long eyestocks. To help him move along he has a long leg that tucks back into the shell. the leg has a yellowish pointy (sp?). it uses the leg to drag itself across the sand.
See the attached pics

 

[candycane]

Probably a Stromus Conch. Check out Tongan Strombus Conchs and see if they look familiar, you can google them or what have you. Granted the shells are a bit off looking, but still.

 

[urbanhellfire]

I did a search and it might be a conch, but the shell looks nothing like it should in shape. Do they switch shells? It might have found a new bigger home if thats the case?
You think?

 

[harry2]

Conchs are a type of snail and they can't change shells. It might be some kind of whelk. As a rule of thumb, snails with dark colored flesh can be predatory. I'd keep an eye on it and be ready to get it out if it eats anything that it shouldn't.

 

[candycane]

I'm fairly certain it's a conch. Let me see if I can find a link. Most of the Tongan Strombus Conchs are categorized by the common name "Tongan Fighting Conch'. Most of them have flatter shells and more of a horizontally striped pattern on the shell that is kind of marble colored as well.
See if you can look it up by it's scientific name too. Try Strombus Gigas (would be a little odd) or try Strombus Alatus. I am fairly certain it's a Strombus Alatus.

 

[urbanhellfire]

I think you right it is a Tongan Fighting Conch. The shell does look a little odd for a tongan Conch but he has the same white eye-stalks.
Neat to watch, kinda freaky looking when flipped over

 

[candycane]

Originally Posted by urbanhellfire
http:///forum/post/2638512
I think you right it is a Tongan Fighting Conch. The shell does look a little odd for a tongan Conch but he has the same white eye-stalks.
Neat to watch, kinda freaky looking when flipped over

When they fall over they just WAP their foot against the sand till they turn themselves back over, LOL.
But I am pretty sure it's a Strombus Alatus conch - shells looks right on for the Alatus, but not the Spp.

 

[urbanhellfire]

Originally Posted by candycane
http:///forum/post/2638530
When they fall over they just WAP their foot against the sand till they turn themselves back over, LOL.
But I am pretty sure it's a Strombus Alatus conch - shells looks right on for the Alatus, but not the Spp.
Thanks for posting so quickly with good information. When i got the hermits and snail home I let the bag sit in the tank for a while and I was seeing this shell with a sharp claw smacking the side of the bag. When you not expecting to see that it kinda throws you

p.s. he cleaned the HELL out of the front of the tank last night.

 

[candycane]

Originally Posted by urbanhellfire
http:///forum/post/2638545
Thanks for posting so quickly with good information. When i got the hermits and snail home I let the bag sit in the tank for a while and I was seeing this shell with a sharp claw smacking the side of the bag. When you not expecting to see that it kinda throws you

p.s. he cleaned the HELL out of the front of the tank last night.

The claw thing kind of makes me wonder. Unless it's just it's foot. That is usually shaped like a pointy narrow leaf that just sits right inside the opening of the shell.
But they clean quick. It's just that "trunk" like siphon that isn't to appealing, LOL. Plus they sift the sand bed REALLY well.

 

[urbanhellfire]

Iam using the word claw wrong, it looks like half of a crab claw (the smaller side) it's for sure a conch.