[BubbaWPB]

Perspective and Close up

OK... I thought I was getting used to finding new critters in the tank, but this one sorta caught me off guard. It's about an inch long and I have no idea how it got in the tank, and how where it's been hiding. It appears to be some sort of cowrie. This brings up several questions:

1. Are cowries reef safe?
2. What do they eat?
3. What kind of cowrie is this?
4. What ocean is it from?
5. How fast do they grow?
6. Where do they hide?

[scubadude]

From what I have seen/heard most cowries are reef safe, not 100% though from the pics I think to positively ID you would have to get a good pic of the apercullum (sp?) from the a clean side of the tank. Most cowries eat algae if not all of them, but there may be some carnivorous or omivorious even (not sure) They usually hide in darker spots but you might be able to catch his journeys if you do some nitetime flashlight epxloring Hope some one else will chime in on this and give you a better ID though.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by BubbaWPB

Attachment 6360 Attachment 6361
Perspective and Close up

OK... I thought I was getting used to finding new critters in the tank, but this one sorta caught me off guard. It's about an inch long and I have no idea how it got in the tank, and how where it's been hiding. It appears to be some sort of cowrie.

Yes, it does look like a cowrie but it's hard to tell for sure from the photograph.

1. Are cowries reef safe?

Some are harmless algal grazers but some are omnivores that will sometimes eat polyps and certain corals in addition to algae and detritus.

2. What do they eat?

See above.

3. What kind of cowrie is this?

From the size and coloration it could be a money cowrie (Cypraea moneta). Their maximum size is approximately 3/4"-1".

4. What ocean is it from?

I'm not sure but I believe they're widespread.

5. How fast do they grow?

I think yours is already adult size.

6. Where do they hide?

I don't know.

[BubbaWPB]

Thanks, Ninong. I always appreciate your knowledge of this sorta thing.

Meanwhile, since finding this critter, I went to one of the LFSs in my area, and he had just gotten in a batch of these critters. It is allegedly a chestnut cowrie (Pacific) and is an algal/detritus feeder (if one can believe anything one is told at the LFS)....

[Ninong]

Does it look like this?

If that's it, I think it's a carnivore and it may not do well at typical reef tank temperatures. It probably does better at temps around 65-72 degrees F.

I guess they're coming in from the Baja California area. A lot of stuff seems to be collected down there lately.

[BubbaWPB]

yeah, it looks sorta like that. It hitch-hiked in on something. Unless it grew pretty fast, it's been a while since I put something big enough in the tank for it to hide in. I don't think I've added anything baja-ish... most of my live rock is Carribbean/Atlantic with a few pieces of alleged Fiji rock... unless it learns to speak, I guess it will remain a mystery how it got in there!