My conch snail has a hitchhiker (of some sort)! Help!

[I'm a natural blue]

Possibly a Stomatella snail? https://www.google.com/search?q=stomatella+snail&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Thank you, Emisis. I looked at some pictures and I am just not sure. One of our members offered to send a picture to a snail expert. I'll let y'all know if I get a positive ID!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Do you know how much I have learned today searching for information! I actually found the answer to a question I've had for a couple of years. LOL! The hunt is the fun.

I bet you have made my top 5 interesting hunt for the year.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Do you know how much I have learned today searching for information! I actually found the answer to a question I've had for a couple of years. LOL! The hunt is the fun.

I bet you have made my top 5 interesting hunt for the year.

Well there ya go, it was meant to be! Ha. I appreciate your interest.

 

[Sully]

Baby conch?

 

[LetItReef]

My guess too -baby conches

 

[Lionfish Lair]

We have 2 for slipper limpet and 2 for juvenile conch...... hopefully we'll know the winner soon

What are you! Tell us! TELL US!!!

 

[bandit1994]

what about a Cowrie

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Baby conch?

Hello, Sully. That was my first thought too. However, after doing a bit of research I learned that conch's lay eggs and hatch into larvae. I didn't read that they attach to the parent. It's still a mystery!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

what about a Cowrie

Thank you for the reply, bandit994. That is an interesting guess! Although my guys kinda look like a Cowrie in body, the shell is not the same. It is not shiny at all but that's not to say I don't have some type of one. I briefly looked into them after your guess and I hope it's not. From my reading, some adults eat corals! Another thing about these guys is that they appear to be sessile (if I am using the correct term for stationary) with the exception of moving around from under their "shell" and taxicab riding on my conch!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

We have 2 for slipper limpet and 2 for juvenile conch...... hopefully we'll know the winner soon

What are you! Tell us! TELL US!!!

I just realized who you are, Renee. Your page: http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker.shtml is the first I went to for Identification! I sure hope we can figure this out soon!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Vermetid snail maybe? If you see it shooting out web like stings that's what it will be.

No strings yet, Pat.

 

[Pat Clark]

I don't think it is when I first looked at it it looked like the head of a vermited snail. Now I think it is a black stommatella. Hard looking at a pic with a little phone

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I don't think it is when I first looked at it it looked like the head of a vermited snail. Now I think it is a black stommatella. Hard looking at a pic with a little phone

Did you watch the video, Pat?

 

[Pat Clark]

 

[Pat Clark]

No I didn't in a cell dead zone.

 

[Pat Clark]

K I got some of it to load. I think it's the reef is making a remake of alien and that the part were the alien emerges from the host............ I have no idea what it is [emoji51]

 

[Naiad]

I do believe that you are right about them being sessile. I just have never seen any of the sessile limpet or snails send out those black things.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

It changes everything when you see the video, doesn't it? The Twilight Zone.

 

[erk]

They don't seem to be bothering the conch at all. What's interesting is they are a sessile type of mollusk, but they don't seem to filter the water column. Makes me wonder how they survive riding on the back of a conch. Could you get some pictures of the shell structure of these things under good light? That might help lead to an ID.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

They don't seem to be bothering the conch at all. What's interesting is they are a sessile type of mollusk, but they don't seem to filter the water column. Makes me wonder how they survive riding on the back of a conch. Could you get some pictures of the shell structure of these things under good light? That might help lead to an ID.

I was trying to take more pictures and video this morning but the conch wasn't cooperating. She kept moving about and changing the angle making it difficult. I will try again later on this evening. Seems as if when she is close to the sand they get all excited and start to "touch it". Yesterday, she "sat" on them all day. Maybe they feed off the floor?