Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Not Suitable for Fish-Only Tank
Range: Indo-Pacific Ocean: Philippines.
Size: 2 inches (2.5 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow reefs and found on, near or inside leather corals.
Aquarium Suitability: Not collected for the home aquarium trade.
This snail eats only Sarcophyton, Lobophyton leather corals, and Sinularia finger leather corals. They bore into their column while the coral specimen is small and eat the coral from the inside out.
Evidence of an internal snail may be the coral body turning yellow and no polyp extension. A close examination of the coral body may result in a healed incision. Pushing in on the site of the incision may result in the coral body breaking open and revealing the snail inside. If so, remove the snail, flush the open wound with freshwater if possible, or swabbing the area with some Lugol's.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Muricidae
Genus: Rapa
FYI: Shown here for identification only.
