Marine snails

Marine snails






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The term snail is used for almost all members of the class
Gastropoda in the phylum Mollusca that have coiled shells as adults.
Snails are popular among both fresh- and saltwater aquarists and are
kept as ornamental species as well as cleaning crews.
Within the marine aquarium hobby, you will encounter the
terms saltwater snail / sea snail as well as the terms saltwater slug /
sea slug. The term slug is a non-scientific word commonly
applied to snails that have no shell, a small internal shell or a
significantly reduced shell. It is for instance commonly used for the
members of the suborder Nudibranchia of the class Gastropoda.
Nudibranchs, also known as sea slugs, are saltwater dwelling,
soft-bodied shell-less molluscs and they are popular among marine
aquarists since they tend to come in extravagant colours and shapes.
Other examples of marine snails commonly referred to as slugs are the
sea angles of the suborder Gymnosomata, the sea butterflies of the
suborder Thecosomata, and sea hares of the suborder Anaspidea.
Snails (including slugs) inhabit a wide range of different
habitats in the wild and it is therefore important to choose a species
that will appreciate the type of environment offered by your particular
aquarium. Snails occur both on land and in fresh and brackish waters,
but the greatest profusion of snail species is found in the sea. Marine
snails have adapted to a wide range of different environment in the
ocean and can be found even at abyssal depths. Many snails are
herbivorous, but among the marine species it is fairly common to be
omnivore or carnivore instead.
Some snails have gills just like fishes, while others have
lungs just like mammals. The snails that have developed lungs are all
members of the order Pulmonata, while snails with gills are found in a
lot of different orders. You might think that snails with lungs only
live on land, but there is actually a handful of Pulmonata snail
species to be found in the ocean. Snails that respire with lungs must
of course be given access to the area above the waters edge if you wish
to keep them in your aquarium since they need to surface regularly to
breathe oxygen from the atmosphere.
As mentioned above, snails can be kept for their beauty as
well as for their ability to help with aquarium maintenance. Snails can
for instance be of great aid of you are experiencing problems with
excessive algae growth in the aquarium. The Margarita Snail, Margarites pupillus, is
one of several species of snail known to consume large amounts of
algae without hurting any corals or other invertebrates. The Margarita
Snail will even devour hair algae and is completely non-venomous.
If you need help with uneaten food and other types of debris in your saltwater aquarium the Nassarius
Snail is one example of a snail that can be really helpful. The name
Nassarius Snail is used for all the members of the genus Nassarius, but
the species Nassarius vibex is the most common one in tropical saltwater aquariums. Just like most of its close relatives, Nassarius vibex is
an active scavenger that will seek out left over fish food, waste
products produced by your fish, and other forms of decaying organic
matter. Even a small group of hungry Nassarius vibex snails can
work wonders in a marine aquarium. Since they like to burrow down in
the sand they will also aerate the substrate and help prevent
compaction. It is however impossible to use copper-based medications in
an aquarium without harming or even killing your Nassarius vibex.

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