Astraea Snail

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the tropical Western Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. It is commonly found on shallow coral reefs and rocky substrates.

Taxonomy: Belonging to the family Turbinidae. Features a conical, pyramid-shaped shell with ridges that resemble a star. Grows up to 5.0 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and solitary. It spends its time crawling on rocks, glass, and decorations in search of microalgae and film algae.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The shell is light gray to green, often covered in natural coralline algae. There is no visible sexual dimorphism.

Tank Setup: Needs a mature marine aquarium with plenty of live rock to support continuous grazing. Provide rockwork they can easily climb.

Diet and Feeding: Strict herbivore. Feeds on hair algae and diatoms. If algae levels are low, supplement with dried nori sheets.

Water Quality: Demands stable reef parameters. pH 8.1-8.4, SG 1.023-1.025, and high calcium levels (400-450 ppm) to support shell integrity.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Reef safe and compatible with all peaceful tankmates. Avoid aggressive hermit crabs and predatory fish (like triggers or wrasses).

Aquarium Breeding: Broadcast spawners, releasing eggs and sperm directly into the water column. Fry rarely survive in filtration systems.

Risks and Diseases: Highly sensitive to copper treatments and salinity shock. If they fall upside down on sand, they cannot flip back over and will perish if not assisted.