Snail ID - coral pest?

[Sierra_Bravo]

I know 99% of the time when someone thinks a crab or snail hurt something the critter was just cleaning up already dead tissue, but...

I noticed my mint green frag had an odd-shaped "bleached" area on it that wasn't there before. The snail below was on it - didn't think twice about it and pulled him off to the side of the rack. The red cap was in perfect condition. This morning the snail is on the red cap and for the life of me he looked like he was going back and forth right at the junction of good and gone tissue scraping away, like a snail does on algae covered glass. I may be way off here but it sure looked like he was causing the damage. I've checked both frags for nudi's and there does not seeem to be any on them or any eggs on the frag or plug.

I've read of only one monti eating snail and this isn't it. This looks kinda like a turbo to me but the shell structure seems different.

Anyone know what species it is for sure or have you ever heard of a snail damaging coral like that?

 

[samnaz]

Hm... interesting. What other snails do you have in the tank? when's the last time you added livestock?

 

[samnaz]

My go-to guide for undesirable and desirable hitchikers, unfortunately your snail isn't on the list (which my or may not be a good thing...)
https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Hm... interesting. What other snails do you have in the tank? when's the last time you added livestock?

Other snails are astraea, ceriths, nerite, and nassarius. Have not added anything other than acro frags for more than 3 months. No snails added since I started the tank almost a year ago other than cerith and nassarius.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

My go-to guide for undesirable and desirable hitchikers, unfortunately your snail isn't on the list (which my or may not be a good thing...)
https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

I went through the guide as well. Nothing even close.

 

[Tahoe61]

Trochus of some sort would be my guess. Where did you get the snail?

 

[Maritimer]

The opening inside/underneath the snail's spire almost makes me want to say this fellow might be related to sundail snails - and that wouldn't be good. Its color, though, does look like that of a young trochus - but those guys are algae-eaters, and shouldn't be snacking on montipora. @KJ, @Lovemyreef2015 - have either of you folks seen this critter before?

~Bruce

 

[samnaz]

How many have you found, just the one?

 

[Tahoe61]

Look at Calliostoma as well.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Trochus of some sort would be my guess. Where did you get the snail?

It had to have been a hitchhiker from the Tampa Bay Saltwater liverock I put in May of 2017. The remainder of my snails and CUC, other than a handful of supplemental ceriths and nassarius, have been with me since that time.

 

[wattson]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php
looks like possibly the one snail towards the bottom of article,,Figure 13 possibly

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

How many have you found, just the one?

I terminated the one in the picture this morning. I just looked after you asked and found one more - on a tenuis frag recently glued to the rock. No damage to that frag, however. I don't see any others at the moment. I have seen this guy before but thought it was a young turbo.

 

[samnaz]

Calliostoma sp does look similar.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Look at Calliostoma as well.

Browsing images of calliostomadae and they do look very similar.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Two species from Florida:

Calliostoma tampaensis (note Tampa in name)

Calliostoma bairdii

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

I think its Calliostoma tampaensis (Retracting - the opening looks wrong)

http://www.idscaro.net/sci/01_coll/plates/gastro/pl_calliostomatidae_1.htm

 

[samnaz]

What about perhaps Calliostoma javanicum ?

 

[samnaz]

(side note) Holy crap! there are so many species within the genus Calliostoma.

C. javanicum is rare but it is found in Florida.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

What about perhaps Calliostoma javanicum ?

According to "A Field Guide to Coral Reefs: Caribbean and Florida":

Calliostoma javanicum - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliostoma_javanicum
Calliostoma javanicum, common name the chocolate-lined top shell


.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Look at Calliostoma as well.

Looks like you hit the winning genus - thanks!

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