Is this true nassarius snail? Killed my fish?

WheatToast · Dec 8, 2023

Kzang said:
That isn't a nass snail. Its a whelk. Look a the siphon, if it looks tattooed, its a whelk. good article.

Whelk versus Nassarius | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

This is a very inaccurate article that makes a ton of assumptions about Nassarius snails and whelks based on a limited number of species. In particular, multiple species of Nassarius snails do indeed feature patterned siphons (ex. Nassarius margaritifer) and some whelks, like Kellet's whelk (Kelletia kelletii) lack patterning on their siphons.

JayM · Dec 8, 2023

I’m far from any sort of expert, but from personal experience I will confidently say that there’s no way a nassarius snail hunted down and killed (or attempted to) any healthy fish.

formallydehyde · Dec 13, 2023

Most scavengers are opportunistic predators and I suspect that's the case with larger nassarius species if any animal can't get away from them.

formallydehyde · Dec 13, 2023

I think everyone jumps to nassarius snails being secret whelks rather than considering they're carnivorous snails which are rather fast (for a snail). I don't think they care where the meat comes from if they're hungry and have an opportunity.

WheatToast · Dec 13, 2023

formallydehyde said:
Most scavengers are opportunistic predators and I suspect that's the case with larger nassarius species if any animal can't get away from them.

formallydehyde said:
I think everyone jumps to nassarius snails being secret whelks rather than considering they're carnivorous snails which are rather fast (for a snail). I don't think they care where the meat comes from if they're hungry and have an opportunity.

My Nassarius snails only respond to dead/dying organisms. They literally do not care when my hands enter my aquarium, but if I have a cut and a single drop of my blood enters the tank, they all wake up and start searching for food.

formallydehyde · Dec 13, 2023

WheatToast said:
My Nassarius snails only respond to dead/dying organisms. They literally do not care when my hands enter my aquarium, but if I have a cut and a single drop of my blood enters the tank, they all wake up and start searching for food.

If they only respond to dead/dying organisms, were you dying when you had a small cut on your hand lol

WheatToast · Dec 13, 2023

formallydehyde said:
If they only respond to dead/dying organisms, were you dying when you had a small cut on your hand lol

Well, I was injured.

formallydehyde · Dec 13, 2023

WheatToast said:
Well, I was injured.

For the record, I don't think they're usually going after most uninjured fish either (slow moving inverts that can't withdraw into a shell might be another story) and I probably should have worded my earlier posts better. They're not wanton murder machines or anything, and most greatly prefer scavenging in general. I just wouldn't assume something that was still alive when they were eating it was 100% doomed to die anyway.