Ilyanassa obsoleta..Snails where is the beef?

[sihaya]

I honestly don't know much about how they harm the sand bed. Do you have any links to info on that? I'm not trying to be confrontational... I just want to read about it b/c I have a few myself. If they're really harming my DSB I'll have to do something about that...

[Klondar]

I'm basing concern on this quote... I just don't want to take the chance any longer.

It has been demonstrated that they negatively impact the sand bed fauna, which is a big no no for a DSB.
Being cold water animals and having a negative impact on the diversity make them bad reef tank inhabitants.

[greenbean36191]

Quoting myself for you non RC folks ;)

Kelaher, Brendan P., Jeffrey S. Levinton, and J. Matthew Hoch. 2003. Foraging by the mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say), modulates spatial variation in benthic community structure. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 292: 139-157.

"Snails decreased the annelid abundance by about 50%"
"Overall high densities of snails had a consistent negative effect on annelids from a number of genera (Fig. 7). Seven out of eight of the most common annelids showed decreases in average abundance in response to greater snail densities, which is more that can be expected by chance (Binomial test, P<0.05)."

Hunt, J. H., W. G. Ambrose, Jr. and C. H. Peterson. 1987. Effects of the gastropod, Ilyanassa obsoleta(Say) and the bivalve, Mercenaria mercenaria (L.), on larval settlement and juvenile recruitment of infauna. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 108: 229-240.

"I. obsoleta caused a reduction in abundance of as much as 45%. Surface-dwelling tubiculous polychaetes, gastropods, harpacticoid copepods, and mobile subsurface-dwelling infauna all declined in abundance with increasing I. obsoleta density."

DeWitt, Theodore H., and Jeffrey S. Levinton. 1985. Disturbance, emigration, and refugia: How the mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say), affects the habitat distribution of an epifaunal amphipod, Microdeutopus gryllotalpa (Costa). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 92: 97-113.

"In the presence of the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say), the tubicolous amphipod Microdeutopus gryllotalpa (Costa) emigrates to snail-free sediments, as demonstrated in laboratory and field experiments."

[sihaya]

Thanks Mike!

[ohioreef]

What is the opinion on these in a SSB? My sandbed is only 1.5-2" deep.

[Poseidon]

What is the opinion on these in a SSB? My sandbed is only 1.5-2" deep.

Unless you keep your tank at temperate water temps, it doesn't matter!

[Ninong]

What is the opinion on these in a SSB? My sandbed is only 1.5-2" deep.

Hi ohioreef,

I think Nassarius vibex would be a better choice.

P.S. -- I'll add this for your consideration: Ilyanassa obsoleta is the natural host for at least 9 different species of detrimental trematodes. Studies indicate that more than half of the adult snails will contain these parasites.