Dangerous Pyramid Snail?

[Zakary2003]

I my clam was knocked over by a hermid crab today, and I noticed this small snail on it when I was setting it back up. It looks like a pyramid snail to me. I've seen similar snails in my tank before (they hunt and eat my little white collonista snails) but I've never noticed any on the clam. What are the odds this is the clam eating variety, and what should I do next?

 

[Zakary2003]

Here are some (hopefully) better pictures. It appears to be an empty shell.

 

[Zakary2003]

And some crappy microscope pictures

 

[Nembuddy]

I’m no expert but they look like what killed my clams a few years ago. Check for more at the top of the shell near the mantle, hiding in the scutes and the byssus opening.

How long have you had the clam?

 

[Zakary2003]

I’m no expert but they look like what killed my clams a few years ago. Check for more at the top of the shell near the mantle, hiding in the scutes and the byssus opening.

How long have you had the clam?

About 2 months now. It looked clean in quaruntine. I inspected it thoroughly when I removed the one empty shell and saw no other snails around the foot or mantle.

 

[dansyr]

About 2 months now. It looked clean in quaruntine. I inspected it thoroughly when I removed the one empty shell and saw no other snails around the foot or mantle.

Looks like it to me, although I do put some stock in the rumors/reports of there being snail-specific pyramids and clam-specific pyramids, so if you know you have collonista predators it might be worth capturing one of those to image.

Here's an in-situ photo of one attached to a Hippopus i picked up the other week, it was definitely attached and not just a bystander.

 

[minus9]

Looking at the shape and pattern on the shells, looks like pyramid to me. Rissoids are very similar and are sometimes confused as pyramids, but pose no risk to clams. Pyramids will have distinct "ribs" on their shells and have a columellar fold (opening), whereas rissoids do not have this fold. Rissoids also have a "crossed" pattern to their shells. The ends of their shells are slightly different, but the ribs and opening are the major identifiers. All snails pictured above are pyramids and should be removed. @OrionN has a sticky that gives instructions on how to deal with their removal. The best time to go hunting is at night. Good luck!

 

[Zakary2003]

Looking at the shape and pattern on the shells, looks like pyramid to me. Rissoids are very similar and are sometimes confused as pyramids, but pose no risk to clams. Pyramids will have distinct "ribs" on their shells and have a columellar fold (opening), whereas rissoids do not have this fold. Rissoids also have a "crossed" pattern to their shells. The ends of their shells are slightly different, but the ribs and opening are the major identifiers. All snails pictured above are pyramids and should be removed. @OrionN has a sticky that gives instructions on how to deal with their removal. The best time to go hunting is at night. Good luck!

I took the clam out and inspected it. I never saw any live snails or visible eggs on it. I'm nervious now, though.

 

[gigasclam1972]

Yes, that is a pyramid snail. If you can move the clam to another system for a few months that would help. But otherwise, best to inspect your clam daily.or every other day until.they are gone. Best to check at night when the lights are off. They can be eradicated, but it takes alot of patience and persistence. It won't happen overnight. Those snails also prey on turbo and other algae eating snails, making life all the more difficult to completely eradicate. I would move it into a deli cup without sand for now. The snails like to hang out in the sand around rhe base of clams