Types of Salt Water Snails

There are at least 40,000 species of snails, but only three families of snails are typically used in saltwater aquariums: Haliotidae, Littorinidae and Mesogastopoda. These snails are considered "tank cleaners" because they eat the built-up algae in aquariums. In the wild, they measure 1/2 to 8 inches in length, and come from the Indo-Pacific and Carribean Oceans. Use one snail per 2 gallons of water in an aquarium to control algae.

  1. Abalone

    • The abalone shell is partly made of calcium.

      The Abalone snail is up to 3 inches in size, and is eaten as a delicacy in many countries. It moves over surfaces with its foot, and hides in crevices during the day, since it is nocturnal. It has a calcium-based shell which protects it from many predators, but because of this, it requires a proper level of calcium in the saltwater to maintain its growth rate.

    Mexican Red Foot Snail

    • The Mexican Red Foot Snail has, as its name implies, a bright red foot which extends from the shell. It is up to 2 inches long. It likes to move about, so needs room, as well as hidden places to conceal itself. Unlike the Abalone, which is an herbivore, the Mexican Red Foot Snail is a carnivore.

    Bumble Bee Snail

    • The Bumble Bee Snail is a very small snail, measuring up to 1/2 inch in length. It gets its name from its appearance -- black with yellow stripes. It is part of the Buccinidae family. In addition to grazing on algae and other unwanted aquarium material, it is a "sand sifter," meaning it prefers a deep sand bed in the tank to burrow down into.

    Egg Cowrie

    • The Egg Cowrie is not a true cowrie, but has many similarities to it. It measures up to 3 inches, and its shell is round and white, like an egg. Its mantle wraps around the edges of the shell like an actual cowrie's, but it does not have teeth on the inner edge of its shell like a cowrie does. The Egg Cowrie is carnivorous, but is often prey to larger snails and starfish.

    Other Saltwater Snails

    • Other types of saltwater snails include the Astraea Star Snail, which cannot right itself if it falls, the Cerith Snail which eats all sorts of aquarium detritus, and the Turbo Snail, which is large and known for knocking things over. The Trochus Snail is very small and similar to the Astraea Star Snail, and the Margarita Snail has a lot of particular needs in the aquarium setting.