Columbellids
Dove shells, or snails in the family Columbellidae, are common in all marine environments, and they form another exceptionally diverse group. Some of the genera in the family are
Amphissa,
Alia,
Euplica,
Strombina,
Anachis,
Columbella,
Parametaria,
Pyrene, and
Mitrella, among many others. They tend to be small animals and are nearly ubiquitous in shallow water marine ecosystems, including reefs. These are animals that are generally considered to be either predators or scavengers, but as a whole the group is poorly studied, and the natural history of most species is simply unknown. Interestingly enough, at least one species has been marketed quite successfully as a herbivore, and indeed this species is a good algae-eating snail. This species, although sold as the Pacific spotted conch,
Strombus maculatus, is not that species, and
actually is a columbellid snail, probably in the genus
Euplica or
Pyrene. The taxonomic status of that particular genus is uncertain, but in any case, it is a columbellid, similar to what is illustrated as
Pyrene versicolor (Note: the linked image is reversed, the aperture should be on the right) by Abbot and Dance, 1982; p161. This particular species reproduces well in aquaria by laying capsules on the walls of the aquarium. Successful reproduction in aquaria is frequent, and these nice little snails are becoming quite commonly found in marine aquaria throughout the United States.
