Snail ID

Just bought this snail at the LFS. I had an empty shell once that looked just like it. The guy had no idea what it was, so he sold it to me for the price of a Cerith (got 6 of those). I just put it in my sump until I can get a positive ID (just spent 2 1/2 hours looking around for it with no luck). My guess is it's a "hand grenade snail" hahaha! Couldn't get his head, he's a tad angry right now...wouldn't let go of the bag LOL.

Any snail experts have any ideas?

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Haven't seen one like that before. Probably will need to get a pic with it out and eating.

 

Weird shell. I lie it...Sorry, no clue what it is though.

 

Yeah, I just checked...it's still mad & sitting the same as in the last pic LOL.
It was eating on the glass in the LFS, so when it starts I'll get a shot (provided it does it on the front glass of the sump).

Just told my boyfriend I hope it's not a snail that's only active at night, cuz it won't get any night in there!

 

You might want to send a PM to Pagojoe

Also, the pic is a little dark. Does the snail have an operculum?

 

Yep, that's a pretty common snail in the Indo-Pacific intertidal zone, usually stuck to rocks. It's Morula granulata, a small muricid with a fairly broad diet. It usually eats smallish bivalves or other slow-moving gastropods.

Morula (Morula) granulata

Cheers,



Don

 

Cool.. They look like lil mini hand grenades ..

 

LOL Zoban, that's what I keep calling it!

Inwall, not that I've been able to tell. It's still a bit ticked off at me. I thought it was dead when I got home from work, but when I moved it over to the glass again to see if anything was left in the shell, it grabbed on.

Pago, thanks very much for the ID! I guess if it only eats bivalves it's gonna be darn hungry in my tank! I wonder if it would eat frozen clam? Guess I'll have to find out...

 

It also eats snails, but probably couldn't eat a Nassarius or Stomatella. It would more likely eat slow-moving or sessile snails like some other muricids, limpets, or maybe vermetids.

Cheers,



Don

 

Wow, that'd be great if it ate Vermetids LOL. Not that I have any right now, but you know how they are! There's just one Cerith in the sump with it, so I guess we'll find out if the Cerith is too slow-moving or not! It finally moved on the glass some, but of course it's not eating. I guess I'll be looking for something to feed it this weekend!