Big Burrowing Shelled Gastropod from Tampa.......

[VR28man]

So I got a few pounds of Gulf of Mexico live sand (live-plants.com, in Tampa and I assume collected nearby). When I put it in the tank, I sifted around and found this. I thought it was dead at first, but it started moving. It burrows much of the day, but does move around.

Any thoughts what genus/species it is? It's about 3 inches long, and has an antenna like the common nassarius snails.

Sorry the pics are bad; I don't have a real macro lens. If no ID is possible, I'll try to get a better pic next time I see it's out.

(and i mean the big one in the middle; not the small cerinths elsewhere in the frame. )

 

[recess62]

That is very cool. Can’t help with ID but following

 

[KMench]

Some kind of conch? Does it have eyes on stalks?

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

Olive Snail in the family Olividae.

 

[VR28man]

Olive Snail in the family Olividae.

ding ding ding bingo.

Wikipedia says they are predatory - bivalves and carion. I'm gonna do some research, but do people think this is reef-safe? (I don't have any clams, Giant it or otherwise )

In particular, will they eat other snails, like my nassarius snails?

 

[VR28man]

Reasearch so far yielded potential bad news.... . Another species aquarium is in our future.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6/lettered-olive-120502.html#/topics/120502?page=2

 

[Oldsalt01]

Sure. Any excuse to set up yet another aquarium.