Bad Snail ???

[Tautog]

I caught this guy in the middle of a patch of Zoas.
Eating I'm guessing?

 

[cdare99]

I had a group of crabs that would climb on corals and end up hurting them, had a zoa rock about 50 on it they knocked all of them off, would eat snails, and would kill each other and eat them. So I gave them to a local fish store and they fed them to the octopuses.

 

[ahiggins]

hmm, that doesnt look out of the ordinary...like a predator.
Lets ask Renee @Lionfish Lair

 

[Tahoe61]

Can you get an image of the shell upright, looks like it could be a Whelk to me.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I agree it looks like it belongs to the whelk family. It's not a zoa predator, however.

 

[Tautog]

Can you get an image of the shell upright, looks like it could be a Whelk to me.

Here's a few pics, it left a depression in the Zoa patch, I hope it's an algae eater.
Thanks for your reply

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I don't think it's an algae eater, but it's not zoa predator. Don't put it back.

 

[Tautog]

I agree it looks like it belongs to the whelk family. It's not a zoa predator, however.

I posted a few pics, I do believe it's in the whelk family. It left a depression in the Zoa patch.
Thanks for your reply, Tog
Oh, I've seen other patches run off their plugs, then die, so I'm thinking predator.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

There could be a predator in there somewhere... it's just not that snail.

 

[Tautog]

I don't think it's an algae eater, but it's not zoa predator. Don't put it back.

Thanks again, that's what I needed to know.