Killer Snail ID

[Pickle_soup]

Can someone ID these snails? I bought them as Nassarius snails, but I think they killed my shrimp. So all my inverts are sitting in a quarantine tank. I fed them with mysis, the shrimp was going crazy for it. I came downstairs an hour later, and two of the snails were eating the shrimp. They seem to be a bit too large for Nassarius ( the mushroom is about 1/2 dollar size). Has anyone experienced this before?

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

They didn't kill your shrimp. It died for whatever reason, and they're eating it. In the short life of a shrimp, a lot can happen in an hour. What can't happen is two snails running it down and killing it. I'd reintroduce the invertebrates.

 

[PocketGoose]

Whelk of some kind possibly, I've heard they are sometimes sold under the Nassarius moniker. Some species will consume live prey.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Whelk of some kind, I've heard they are sometimes sold under the Nassarius moniker. They will eat live prey items. Are you certain that isnt the molt?

Nah, I can't find him anywhere in a small 13 gal tank. Plus it looks fully colored.

 

[Pickle_soup]

They didn't kill your shrimp. It died for whatever reason, and they're eating it. In the short life of a shrimp, a lot can happen in an hour. What can't happen is two snails running it down and killing it. I'd reintroduce the invertebrates.

I know it sounds far-fetched, but I really cannot another explanation.

 

[PocketGoose]

Nah, I can't find him anywhere in a small 13 gal tank. Plus it looks fully colored.

Gotcha. I think a whelk will have an operculum. If you still have them, get them to retract and see if it's there for an ID.

I'm not really sure though..

This might help!

https://www.melevsreef.com/articles/whelk-versus-nassarius

 

[Pickle_soup]

Gotcha. I think a whelk will have an operculum. If you still have them, get them to retract and see if it's there for an ID.

I'm not really sure though..

This might help!

https://www.melevsreef.com/articles/whelk-versus-nassarius

I'll check it out. Thank you!

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Cleaner shrimp only live a few years at most. Given that most are collected as adults from the wild, they often live a few months in captivity. Even if they are whelks, they still wouldn't be able to catch a shrimp. Whelks only feed on snails and other slow things, they can't catch shrimp.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Cleaner shrimp only live a few years at most. Given that most are collected as adults from the wild, they often live a few months in captivity. Even if they are whelks, they still wouldn't be able to catch a shrimp. Whelks only feed on snails and other slow things, they can't catch shrimp.

Maybe he was dying and they grabbed him. He did look fine to be an hour earlier. Pretty weird to see thou.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Maybe he was dying and they grabbed him. He did look fine to be an hour earlier. Pretty weird to see thou.

That's possible. I severely doubt they hunted him down.