West Indian Star Snail

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Common throughout the tropical Western Atlantic, including the coasts of Florida, the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. Inhabits shallow rocky reefs and coral rubble.

Taxonomy: Member of the family Turbinidae. Features a thick conical shell sculpted with axial ridges and tubercles that form star-like angular projections along the base, measuring 3-5 cm in width. Grows to 4 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful, primarily nocturnal, and strictly herbivorous. Spends the night grazing on algae covered rocks. It cannot easily right itself if it falls upside down on loose sand.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Shell color ranges from grayish-white to light brown or pale greenish, often camouflaged by pink coralline algae growths. The interior is pearly. No visible sexual dimorphism.

Tank Setup: Suitable for reef aquariums of 10-12 gallons or larger. Requires stable live rock structures for climbing and grazing. Avoid large sandy areas without nearby rocks.

Diet and Feeding: Strictly herbivorous. Consumes green hair algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria, and film algae. Supplement with dried seaweed (nori sheets) if natural algae is depleted.

Water Quality: Stable reef parameters. Salinity SG 1.021-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, temperature 22-28°C. Highly sensitive to copper treatments and sudden osmotic shocks.

Compatibility and Tankmates: 100% reef-safe. Excellent member of the clean-up crew (CUC). Compatible with peaceful fish and corals. May be targeted by hermits seeking replacement shells.

Aquarium Breeding: Broadcast spawner. Reproduction in home aquariums is extremely rare as pelagic larvae do not survive standard filtration systems.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation in overly clean aquariums. Death from being flipped over on sand; must be manually turned upright. Shell erosion in aquariums with low pH.