Got a hitchhiker or unknown critter?? Check here for an ID

themadman · May 18, 2016

Ok needing help on a snail ID. Unfortunately I don't have a picture. This snail is a white or cream color snail with a very glassy looking white or creamish shell. The shell is oval shaped and smooth on top with some darker spots it looks like. There are no points or anything on the shell its oval and totally smooth and as said very glassy looking. I actually got it at a very legit somewhat local LFS by mistake. It was in a bag of crabs etc they accidentally gave me and like a dumb rookie I didn't know there could be bad snails at the time and put it in my tank. Well last night I was using a red flashlight to check out my tank. I saw my cleaner shrimp digging in the sand and I had never seen that before. The shrimp pulled a snail shell out of the sand. I couldn't see whether this was a live snail or just a shell. But it honestly looked almost like the shrimp was saving the thing. Anyways right after it pulled that shell out this white snail followed out of the sand. So I'm assuming that snail had pulled that shell under with it. Then the white snail proceeded to move away and immediately dive down into the sand and out of sight. I had only seen it on the rocks one other time since adding it. I googled and googled and couldn't find a picture of anything close to what it looks like. Any ideas?

GHsaltie · May 18, 2016

themadman said:
Ok needing help on a snail ID. Unfortunately I don't have a picture. This snail is a white or cream color snail with a very glassy looking white or creamish shell. The shell is oval shaped and smooth on top with some darker spots it looks like. There are no points or anything on the shell its oval and totally smooth and as said very glassy looking. I actually got it at a very legit somewhat local LFS by mistake. It was in a bag of crabs etc they accidentally gave me and like a dumb rookie I didn't know there could be bad snails at the time and put it in my tank. Well last night I was using a red flashlight to check out my tank. I saw my cleaner shrimp digging in the sand and I had never seen that before. The shrimp pulled a snail shell out of the sand. I couldn't see whether this was a live snail or just a shell. But it honestly looked almost like the shrimp was saving the thing. Anyways right after it pulled that shell out this white snail followed out of the sand. So I'm assuming that snail had pulled that shell under with it. Then the white snail proceeded to move away and immediately dive down into the sand and out of sight. I had only seen it on the rocks one other time since adding it. I googled and googled and couldn't find a picture of anything close to what it looks like. Any ideas?

Have you seen this snail? http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/marginella.shtml
I don't know if they bury under the sand like you said yours did but your description sounds a lot like this one.

themadman · May 18, 2016

GHsaltie said:
Have you seen this snail? http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/marginella.shtml
I don't know if they bury under the sand like you said yours did but your description sounds a lot like this one.

I think that may be it. It is definitely the closest looking I have seen. And looked that up and they do bury themselves in the sand also. Thanks for the info!

Cameron Martinez · May 18, 2016

Well I got through about 15 pages and decided to post a picture for help on this one. Found a few of these in our tank last night. And yes I will be the guys that is asking for ID with a pic that isn't the best but any help is apreciated as have lost 2 corals in the last 2 months and not sure why. Thanks for any help. The guy is just next to the Duncan pink in color

Cameron Martinez · May 18, 2016

Lost quality but zoomed in on it so maybe it will help.

Cameron Martinez · May 18, 2016

Think I saw something like this for sale on reef cleaners but it was brown and looked fuzzy on the bottom. They removed it from their site so I can not go back to reference the name.

But thanks for any help let me know if I need to camp out and start picking them out as I see them or if they are good and I can leave them alone.

Lionfish Lair · May 18, 2016

It's a chiton.

Cameron Martinez · May 18, 2016

Thank you sir.
Did a quick search and that is what I saw on Reef Cleaners.
Just never seen them pink. May be where all the coralline grow is going.
Seems like they are reef safe though.
Back to figuring out what is going on with the coral.

Lionfish Lair · May 18, 2016

They can come in all sorts of colors. http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/chiton.shtml

In the link you'll see the Fuzzy Chiton I bought from Reef Cleaners.

Cameron Martinez · May 18, 2016

Dang may look for some more in different colors now!!!

Roboson · May 18, 2016

Edit: never mind.

RobertN · May 20, 2016

Hi All--
I found one of these on my glass a couple of weeks ago and got rid of it. Then today, I found another one and took video and photos of it. It looks a lot like the slugs I find in my garden....and it's slimy/mucilaginous like those slugs as well. Anyone know what it is and whether it is undesirable or not? Thanks in advance for the help! Robert

Tahoe61 · May 20, 2016

It's a Nudibranch, does not really look like a zoanthids eating type. Introduce any new macro algae or corals a couple weeks ago?

Wiz · May 23, 2016

Found these and more today after adding the new sand and mud. :-D Any idea?
@Lionfish Lair

Naiad · May 23, 2016

I believe these are a sand dwelling nem like tubes. I had one eat a bumble bee snail once. They are very good hunters and spread like glass nems

Roboson · May 23, 2016

They look tiny, they couldn't catch anything larger than a bumble bee snail. That said, they look kinda glassy. Now with that said, I still think they're cool.

Lionfish Lair · May 23, 2016

It's a hydroid, Wiz.

Lionfish Lair · May 23, 2016

RobertN said:
Hi All--
I found one of these on my glass a couple of weeks ago and got rid of it. Then today, I found another one and took video and photos of it. It looks a lot like the slugs I find in my garden....and it's slimy/mucilaginous like those slugs as well. Anyone know what it is and whether it is undesirable or not? Thanks in advance for the help! Robert

That looks like an Elysia.