Mysterious Snails

[daveb]

This snail is fairly new to my tank, but there are hundreds of them. Some of them have gotten quite large now. Some are still very small. They are nocturnal totally, and when the lights go out, they seem to come out of no where. They are on the glass and rock, but have not seen them attacking any Zoo's or Polyps of any kind. I am still worried about them, just because of shear numbers.
Here is a pic.... Can anyone ID this for sure...

 

[jdm_ae86]

Looks like a turbo snail to me..or it also might be a sundial snail..try look at the underneath part where it recoils and describe it to us.

 

[daveb]

I have checked all of the references I could find online to the "dangerous" type Sundial Snails. These snails do not even remotely resemble the types of Sundial Snails I have seen during my research that eat Zoo's... and I have had these for almost two months now, and my Zoo's are fine.
Hopefully someone can say without doubt what they are. I have not been able to find any that look like this researching Marine Snails, especially the dangerous Sundial Snails.
Thanks, Dave

 

[daveb]

These snails look just about like that picture from any angle you look at them... not much variation at all in the dozens I have looked at. Coloring and markings are identical on all of them.
Dave

 

[tizzo]

Harmless Collonista snails.

 

[daveb]

Thanks, Tizzo

 

[thomas712]

Genus Arene (Astrea) or possibly of the Genus Macarene snail.
I knew I had those names burried somewhere.

 

[shawnts106]

I used to not have these snails, the suddenly, one day I woke up looked in my tank and there were hundreds of them, I personally think they are baby mexican turbos, because if you look at there shell pattern it matches a clean mexican turbo snails!!!

 

[bigarn]

Thomas..... Isn't that a sundial snail in the picture?

 

[thomas712]

Originally posted by bigarn
Thomas..... Isn't that a sundial snail in the picture?
Oh no thats not a sundial. But this is below.
Of all of the coral predators this may perhaps be the most encountered by the reef aquarist. The Sundial snail (Heliacus Areola) has a very distinct pattern and is fairly easy to distinguish this species from other snails. The pattern almost resembles a checkerboard in some cases. At any rate these snails prey upon Zoanthus colonies and
often tuck themselves away tightly between polyps during the day. Like many of the predators the Heliacus Areola is also a nocturnal feeder and does tend to gorge itself on wiping out the entire colony, instead the consumption pace is a bit more steady. Gone unnoticed you may attribute the losses to natural causes. The snail makes a small hole at the base of the polyp and actually sucks out the contents. The remanding flesh of polyp typically decays and falls off shortly after. This tiny foe is not one pleasant addition if you prize your Zoanthus collection.

 

[jdm_ae86]

shawnts, if youre willing to give them away, id be willing to pay the shipping costs to get it to Hawaii 96816..

 

[spline9]

Those are definately not baby snails. They stay very small. I have tons of them in my tank as well. Active breeders in the aquarium. Always working hard at the algae... until a turbo mows past.