Is this a keyhole limpet?

[Biff0rz]

I noticed some marks on an acro frag and decided to dip it. This wasn't present anywhere on the flesh but was under it and came off during the dip. Is it a keyhole limpet? Is this the kind that will munch on sps?

 

[kjkszpj9]

I mean, if theres a hole at the top of it, its a keyhole limpet, but icant tell from the image if it has a hole or not, otherwise its just some regular limpet or a chiton.

 

[Biff0rz]

I mean, if theres a hole at the top of it, its a keyhole limpet, but icant tell from the image if it has a hole or not, otherwise its just some regular limpet or a chiton.

Yea so I tossed it (ugh) already but I THINK there is a hole on the top. So how can I tell if this is a bad one that eats sps?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It looks like there was a hole on the right side of the shell in the pic. With regards to the eating SPS thing:

I've heard the claim of some keyholes eating SPS corals (I haven't heard of anyone claiming they eat other kinds of corals) before, but I don't think I've seen anyone actually be able to verify that claim (though there are enough species of limpet out there that it wouldn't surprise me if some did eat SPS). That said, as mentioned at the end of my quote below, with limpets of any kind, I would assume they are safe until proven otherwise.

Normal limpets are totally fine, but there's some speculation about Keyhole Limpets possibly eating SPS corals. If yours is a keyhole limpet (which it looks like it may be, but the photo is too grainy for me to tell you for certain), I don't know that anyone has actually confirmed that they eat SPS (much like how people believe "Asterinas" - actually Aquilonstra - stars might eat their corals: it might be a species specific thing, it might be a you have way too many starfish so they're out of other food options thing, it might be they're eating the slime coat/mucus on the coral rather than the coral itself, or they might just opportunistically eat unhealthy corals).

If it has a little "keyhole" or bullet hole looking hole on the back of it's shell (where the shell comes to a point) then it's a keyhole limpet.

Personally, I'd assume keyhole limpets are probably safe, but I know a lot of people would rather play it completely safe and not take the risk.

In short, the only way to know at this point if yours would eat SPS or not is to toss it in with some confirmedly healthy and growing SPS and find out. Most likely it would be fine, but there's always a slim chance that the critter would eat the SPS.

 

[kjkszpj9]

I read online that keyhole limpets eats algae and diatoms but also detrius feeding, but can also be carnivorous and eat sponges, nothing i read sugests they eat SPS though. But hey im no expert or anything im pretty new with saltwater aquariums but im very interested in small creatures and hitchhikers, got 3 small eunice worms in 1 of my rocks in my 13.5g tank and they have never done any harm and never leave the rock ever.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I am pretty sure SPS eating Limpets are an internet rumor scapegoat from someone that had a bad experience with SPS. Most Limpets will confine themselves to a fairly flat surface because their only defense mechanism is to hunker down. Otherwise they would be vulnerable to crabs and the like. Keyhole limpets do have a hole at the top of their shell which they breath, but some also will grow a fleshy mantle covering their shell up to the hole.
Limpets do have powerful teeth, contained in an organ called Radula. These teeth scrape the surface for algae, diatoms, etc. "if" a limpet was on a flat-ish coral "Montipora eg." that had some algae on it, yes it would leave a scar or bite marks from the teeth, but it would not be eating the coral per-say.
Limpets will also tend to confine themselves to one area and there have been studies that show they can create algae farms. I have had one limpet on a flat 3x3 rock for months. Most of my limpets are on my glass where they do a great job of keeping any hard algae at bay.

 

[Biff0rz]

It looks like there was a hole on the right side of the shell in the pic. With regards to the eating SPS thing:


In short, the only way to know at this point if yours would eat SPS or not is to toss it in with some confirmedly healthy and growing SPS and find out. Most likely it would be fine, but there's always a slim chance that the critter would eat the SPS.

I read online that keyhole limpets eats algae and diatoms but also detrius feeding, but can also be carnivorous and eat sponges, nothing i read sugests they eat SPS though. But hey im no expert or anything im pretty new with saltwater aquariums but im very interested in small creatures and hitchhikers, got 3 small eunice worms in 1 of my rocks in my 13.5g tank and they have never done any harm and never leave the rock ever.

I am pretty sure SPS eating Limpets are an internet rumor scapegoat from someone that had a bad experience with SPS. Most Limpets will confine themselves to a fairly flat surface because their only defense mechanism is to hunker down. Otherwise they would be vulnerable to crabs and the like. Keyhole limpets do have a hole at the top of their shell which they breath, but some also will grow a fleshy mantle covering their shell up to the hole.
Limpets do have powerful teeth, contained in an organ called Radula. These teeth scrape the surface for algae, diatoms, etc. "if" a limpet was on a flat-ish coral "Montipora eg." that had some algae on it, yes it would leave a scar or bite marks from the teeth, but it would not be eating the coral per-say.
Limpets will also tend to confine themselves to one area and there have been studies that show they can create algae farms. I have had one limpet on a flat 3x3 rock for months. Most of my limpets are on my glass where they do a great job of keeping any hard algae at bay.

I found these guys in my skimmer today, on the walls where the bubbles form. The reason I think they are eating sps is because of what looks like bites on a test acro I have see attached.

 

[MAH]

Do you have any fish in with the acro you showed a picture of?

 

[Biff0rz]

Do you have any fish in with the acro you showed a picture of?

Yes, quite a few. I also checked last night and noticed a lot of these limpets all over my rocks. Nothing near or on the acro however.

 

[Tired]

Limpets and other snails leave a long trail when they graze. That doesn't look right for a snail.

What fish do you have?

 

[Biff0rz]

Tangs (Achilles, yellow, naso, purple)
Blue throat trigger
Potters angel
Mandarin
Copperband butterfly
Leopard wrasse
Clown