What is this

reeferbuddy215 · May 1, 2017

Today I noticed this snail looking thing but it has a turn e sticking straight outta the front of the shell and pointed upright and there's a bunch of super tiny ones but it's hard to tell in this picture I just want to make sure it isn't a coral killer.

reeferbuddy215 · May 1, 2017

stevo01 · May 1, 2017

Looks like a species of welk. Not harmful to coral but possibly to other inverts as it may hunt them down. @saltyfilmfolks @Lionfish Lair .

clowner · May 1, 2017

Yea i second welk ...if you have other snails as the main source of your clean up then it would be a good idea to take it out ...good thing is you can pull it out boil it and eat it

saltyfilmfolks · May 1, 2017

Im not 100% but is sure looks like a nassarius snail. I think the size and the shape of the bottom of the shell may tell you more than the top down.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/MolluscPIX/Gastropods/Prosobranch PIX/Nassariids/NassariusF1.htm
theres's a LOT of Nassarius, like whelks.http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138235

donnievaz · May 1, 2017

Looks like a Nassarius to me too. Watch it, if it buries itself in the sand it's most likely Nassarius.

DustyXB9Reefer · May 1, 2017

I 3rd the Nassarius. Great part of my CUC.

reeferbuddy215 · May 2, 2017

It doesn't bury itself it glides fairly quickly over the surface but I can't see it today but I know theirs lots of babies and long as it doesn't eat sps lps of really any corals I'm cool with him chillin I have a feeling he's carnivorous but it's weird yesterday was the first time I've ever seen them in my aquariums

stevo01 · May 2, 2017

Did something die in the tank that you were not able to recover? Im pretty sure Nass snails are welks, but its a reef safe Welk. And my Nass snails never looked like that one, and would head under the sand instantly.

reeferbuddy215 · May 2, 2017

No nothing died and I did notice it stayed in the shade maybe it just surfaced and went back under the substrate. Are these welks or nass snails useful for anything in my reef like clean up crew?