Does anyone even own the true Margarita Snail?

[WheatToast]

Every time I have seen Margarita snails (Margarites pupillus) for sale, they always turn out to be some unrelated species (My guess, Tegula snails). A true Margarita snail should (surprisingly) carry a pink - orange, smooth, silvery shell, not what most would normally expect from the average aquarium Margarita snail.

Examples:
Orange and pink individuals
Pink individual
Orange individual

A "Margarita snail" without such a shell might just be a fake.
Just look at this image of captive "Margarita snails": https://www.oceansgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/margarita-cleaner-snail.png

The deep black, silvery-tipped shells resemble those of the turban (not Turbo) snails, Tegula funebralis and Tegula gallina.
The stony, coralline coated shell in the middle resembles that of the turban snail, Tegula eiseni.
Here are images of some Tegula sp. for reference: http://biology.fullerton.edu/biol317/Murray/Fall97/tegula_snails.html

Even LiveAquaria is guilty: https://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/product/lg_79570_MargaritaSnail.jpg

Does this confusion matter in terms of proper care for the different species though? Probably not too much. Tegula sp. and Margarites pupillus both live in similar environments (rocky shores), survive under similar temperatures (cold!), and possess similar diets (though the latter appears to be more macroalgae safe).

P.S. Reefs.com has written an article with a similar topic: https://reefs.com/2018/07/05/new-study-turbo-snails-are-the-best-aquarium-snail/

 

[Tamberav]

Interesting. I wonder if the real margaritas are ever even for sale? I have never seen them. They are very attractive and the name fits the color.

 

[GSnake]

I have the fake ones ^^. those real ones are pretty

 

[Alaeriel]

I definitely had the fake ones. Appeared to be T. gallina from the images. For some reason, they all died off after about 6 months in the tank, but the cowries and turbos are doing just fine.

 

[anthonygf]

So, true Magarita snails are not suited to our reef tanks I assume because of the temperature we keep our tanks at is higher than their natural habitat . Maybe that is why they offer the fakes instead.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I bought three of the Pink/Orange ones from a LFS in Hampton Roads area. They were fine, when they stayed on the glass . When they came down on the rocks, my Blue Legs, thought they were delicious.

 

[WheatToast]

So, true Magarita snails are not suited to our reef tanks I assume because of the temperature we keep our tanks at is higher than their natural habitat . Maybe that is why they offer the fakes instead.

I doubt it. Tegula snails are also cold-water snails. My reasoning that that Tegula snails are much easier to find and collect than Margarita snails (Tegula live higher up in the intertidal zone). I live on the Pacific coast (where both snails live) and I have never seen a wild Margarita snail, yet I have seen Tegula snails in almost every tide pool on every rocky beach I have visited!

I bought three of the Pink/Orange ones from a LFS in Hampton Roads area. They were fine, when they stayed on the glass . When they came down on the rocks, my Blue Legs, thought they were delicious.

Could you post pictures? They could have been orange Chestnut turbo snails (Turbo castanea).

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

This was a long time ago, when I had my 90 gallon setup. So no picture. They had the Chrome Brush Stroke on them, near the Apex of their shells. Also I don’t think Hermits will eat the live Turbos, due to a mild toxin in them.

 

[WheatToast]

bump

 

[WheatToast]

bump

 

[The Wyld Zone]

I have a supply for multiple species however as I run warm water systems I cannot personally sustain them. They seem to do extremely poorly in warm water even in invert friendly systems.

 

[The Wyld Zone]

Pardon me. The pink species is familiar. I have found these in my systems as hitchhikers. I have no long term data however.

 

[WheatToast]

Pardon me. The pink species is familiar. I have found these in my systems as hitchhikers. I have no long term data however.

Might they have just been some other snail coated in Coralline? Do you have pictures?

 

[The Wyld Zone]

Might they have just been some other snail coated in Coralline? Do you have pictures?

No pink coralline doesn't exist in any of my systems. It is rapidly replaced by a nasty native green coralline. Unfortantely I do not at this time. I rarely take more than a mental picture of inverts. Extremely poor habit given todays technology and ease of use. However in the future I will grab some picture for you when the occasion arises

 

[WheatToast]

bump

 

[WheatToast]

bump

 

[WheatToast]

bump

 

[Mutton Biryani]

Looks like I had some Tegula funebralis that were sold to me as margaritas. Makes sense that they are cold water snails. They only survived for a few months in my tank. I found them to be the dumbest snails ever lol. found them flipped over all the time needing to be tuned over. Or if find out outside the tank, drying up. Makes sense now that they were unwell in the warm reef tank. Eventually they died and provided hermits with a feast and a nice shell upgrade.

 

[WheatToast]

Looks like I had some Tegula funebralis that were sold to me as margaritas. Makes sense that they are cold water snails. They only survived for a few months in my tank. I found them to be the dumbest snails ever lol. found them flipped over all the time needing to be tuned over. Or if find out outside the tank, drying up. Makes sense now that they were unwell in the warm reef tank. Eventually they died and provided hermits with a feast and a nice shell upgrade.

In the wild, the preferred habitat of Tegula snails are tide pools that are left exposed to the air on a regular basis. Perhaps this was another reason why they congregated outside the water. Yet because of this, I find it confusing that your snails were incapable of flipping themselves over (which is imperative in the turbulent intertidal zone). Perhaps it was the temperature-induced stress that prevented them.