They are hardy enough to survive in impacted and polluted areas. In nature, they display a broad tolerance to changes of salinity and temperature. Nassarius snails are very easy to care for. Interesting fact: Some Nassarius species (for example Nassarius reticulatus), as many whelks, are usually regarded as an obligate scavengers, and a single meal may sustain an individual for several days. It would be better to supplement their diet with all sorts of meaty food, like frozen brine shrimps, freeze-dried larvae, and cut up pieces of fish and seafood. However, if you have many snails or there are not enough leftovers and naturally occurring food. Nassarius snails are very good at scavenging. In the aquarium, they will eat leftover food, detritus, and etc. Note: In the wild, rapid consumption of large amounts of food decreases the risk of predation, since animals clustered around the food are a potential food source for predators. For example, biologists calculated that some species could consume between 50 to 60% of body weight on average 8 – 12 minutes. These snails eat a lot of food in relation to their body weight and do it very fast. If you see them on top of the sand searching, you should know that they are very hungry. They eat all the leftovers at the bottom of your sand bed and big time on detritus. Nassarius snails (Nassarius Vibex and Nassarius distortus) are opportunistic eaters of dead organic matter. Unfortunately, it is possible to do only under laboratory conditions. females: presence of a capsule gland and vulva.males: the presence of seminal vesicle.Therefore, biologists base the sex determination upon other characters such as: Meaning that they also develop nominal male organ. The only problem is that all females are affected by imposex. They have distinct male and female individual organisms. However, there are also reports of attacking other snails. In general, they are quite peaceful snails. They always rebury themselves in the sand after the complete consumption of large meals. Once you see how they move their siphon and all rise up out of the sand, you will understand the joke. Note: Aquarists also call Nassarius snails “Zombie snails”. They are not slow movers, these snails move rapidly around the aquarium waving the siphon, after identification of the origin of the odor. The detection of “prey” can occur from a distance of 1.5 m and 2.0 meters. According to different studies of these species, they have a complex olfactory system. However, as soon as they smell the dead organic matter, the Nassarius snails emerge immediately from the substratum and move quickly toward the food. They spend most of their time buried, with only the siphon poking up like a periscope. They also use it for breathing and smelling. The Nassarius Snail has a proboscis/siphon (mouth), which looks like an elephant’s trunk. In most specimens, the shell features either ridges or bumps. The shell coloration depends on the specimen and can usually have white, yellow, sandy, dark, and brown (light and/or dark). Their shells have the “heavy” sculpting with flaring lip near the opening of the shell, and usually sharp, unworn tip.

However, usually, they are 1 – 1.5 cm long (0.4 – 0.6 inches). The largest specimen can grow up to 2 cm (about 0.8 inches). The Nassarius snails are pretty small-sized. Mostly white, yellow, sandy, dark and brown Zombie snails, Super Tongan snail, Bruised nassa, Common Eastern nassa Nassarius obsoletus is omnivoros scavenger, etc. Nassarius pyrrhus feeds on moribund molluscs, fishes and decapod crustaceans.

For example, Bullia digitalis feeds on dead organic matter deposited by the waves, Nassarius obsoletus feeds on organic material (plant or animal) deposited in the intertidal zone. Nassariidae species can be herbivorous, carnivorous and scavengers. What species is this!? Nobody knows. However, it is extremely important. Note: Unfortunately, there is one issue in our hobby. Nassarius Snails are almost never labeled other than “Nassarius Snail”. The reason is that these species act the same way and share the same feeding habits. In this article, I am going to talk about 2 most popular species in the aquatic hobby: Nassarius Vibex and Nassarius distortus. All these qualities make them also a great choice for beginners.Īlthough, Nassarius snails are distributed worldwide on the ocean bed and there are 35 recorded species. In addition, they are very resilient and can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. These snails are super easy to keep and feed. Nassarius snails will be an excellent addition to your saltwater tank. Therefore, if you are looking for a cleanup crew for a saltwater aquarium, you have found it! They will eat various kind of organic material and help to aerate the sandy substrate in your tank. Nassarius snails (Nassarius sp.) are excellent scavengers and great sand sifters.