Description
Tectus snails, often called turban snails or pyrmaid snails, are marine gastropods known for their distinctive, conical shells. They are found in various parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and are a common sight in saltwater aquariums.
Here's a more detailed description:
Shell:
-
Shape: Conical, sometimes with a pyramidal or turreted appearance.
-
Color: Typically whitish, grayish, or yellowish, often mottled or marbled with green or brown.
-
Surface: May have fine oblique wrinkles, spiral rows of beads, or radiating tubercles (rounded protuberances).
-
Base: Flat and often lirate (marked with concentric ridges).
-
Aperture: Transverse and rhomboidal (diamond-shaped).
-
Whorls: Can have 9-14 whorls, which are the spirals of the shell.
-
Size: Varies between 17 mm and 50 mm,
Other features:
-
Columella:
A short, vertical structure with a spiral fold, which is a thickening of the shell on the inner wall.
-
Habitat:
Live in the intertidal zone and shallower waters, often found in holes and crevices of reefs.
-
Diet:
Herbivorous, feeding on algae and biofilms on rocks and coral reefs.
-
In aquariums:
Useful for algae control, especially for cleaning live rock and aquarium glass.
-
Variations:
Different species of Tectus snails exhibit variations in shell color, surface texture, and other features
