Is this a Cone snail?

[Ptyochromis]

Hello, I'm new to salt an am kinda worried I may have a cone snail >_<. I have some hatian LR and last night I saw this little bugger motoring across the sand, by the time I went to get a container ready for him he was gone. This night after lights out he showed himself, motoring(surprisingly fast for a snail) up my glass I got my siphon going and poured him into a jar, where he is now contained. He measures about 1cm.

I have read that there are some species that feed on marine worms, I have tons of bristles in my tank, so there is a probable food source.

Edit: He also has a rather large foot and a tube that pokes out froward ahead of him.

http://i.imgur.com/syYy2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0hMMC.jpg

[pagojoe]

No, not a cone snail, it's a marginellid, called "Peppermint Snails" by the aquarium crowd. It's one of several similar Volvarina species in the V. philippinarum complex that includes both Indo-Pacific and Florida/Caribbean species. The are tiny predator/scavengers that eat meaty foods, kind of like Nassarius, but they will also kill their own tiny prey. That will mostly be other tiny molluscs, and maybe tiny worms or crustaceans.

Cheers,



Don

[Ptyochromis]

Cool thanks. Sounds like it could be useful. Will it get much bigger than 1cm? and will it eat things much larger than itself?

[pagojoe]

Nope, it's done growing, and it won't eat anything larger than itself, unless it's just scavenging off something dead.