Good or Bad snail?

[Brooks_McClary]

I have found a snail. It is stripped like a bumble bee snail. It is about 1/4" long. It has a long "snorkle". It's foot and snorkle are black and the bottom of the foot is white-ish. It's shell is shapped more like a Nassarius than a bumble bee. The white (yellowish) stripes are almost equal to the black. The bumble bee snail has more black than white. The shell is almost kind of bumpy like a fighting conch.

Is this possibly a "bad" snail. I know it is not a pyramid snail. Can someone post any pics that they have of other known bad snails (or list them). I pulled him out of the tank just to be safe (he is in a tupper ware container on my desk).

Do I add it back to the tank or toss it?

[surfnvb7]

you'll need to post a pic to confirm any kind of ID.

FWIW, this is a whelk...very bad.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/misc/Aquariums/hitch%20hikers/whelk.jpg

[Brooks_McClary]

Here is a pic of the offender (or lucky find). OK, if it is a bad snail it is lucky I found it too.

Not so lucky for him though.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c297/brooksmcclary/snail.jpg

[surfnvb7]

hmmm, i'm not sure......could be a bumblee snail. however, judging by the long snout thing, i think it "might" be some kind of whelk.

post this picture and what you said above in Dr. Ron's forum. he will be able to identify it for sure.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=40

[surfnvb7]

actually, yes.....now that i look at it even more, i do think its a whelk.

have you noticed it attacking any other snails? and how big is it?

[Brooks_McClary]

It is about 1/4" long. What do they eat?

I have noticed a couple of Nerite snail shells that are missing their snails. Could this be the culprit?

[surfnvb7]

1/4" seems too small. but it could be a baby. you'll notice if a whelk is attacking a snail. it will ride its shell, and stick that long snout into the shell and "suck out" the snail.

but again, just to be sure, post this in Dr. Ron's forum.