Babylonia areolata

[unninair]

Have you kept one in your tank? If so where did you buy it from? Are they reef-safe?

 

Thanks a lot.

 

Unni

[davelin315]

Uh, what is it? Sounds like a body part from ancient times...

[mogurnda]

My understanding is that they are large predatory whelks. That would put them in the "not in my tank" category.

[davelin315]

If it's a whelk, don't do it. Depending on the kind they can prey on just about anything from sleeping fish to snails, crabs, clams, inverts, corals, etc.

[dzekunoi]

It's a 2" big snail, do not think it's a whelk . Can not prey on fish bC of the size. I can not say if it's reef safe though.

[davelin315]

I did a search on it and other than the fact that it's a food source that can be purchased in bulk from Thailand where they raise them, all I could find was that it's a predatory whelk that they feed chunks of fish, mollusc, etc. to to grow them out. I think it would probably prey on anything that it could find. From watching nature shows I've seen them sneak up on things and then go for the kill. It doesn't need to be bigger than something to kill it, including sleeping fish. Of course, this one could be different, but why chance it?

[jason the filter freak]

I can just see a snail/welk jumping an unsupecting fish like a DC mugging lol ... , but I found stuff on google as well that said they were oppertunistic feeders... means they'll eat what ever they can get their grubby little hands ???? on, dead or alive