Acorn Nassarius Snail

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to Japan, Australia, and central Pacific islands. Inhabits shallow sandy substrates.

Taxonomy: Member of the family Nassariidae. Features a relatively smooth, glossy, elongated shell resembling an acorn, measuring 2-3.5 cm in length. Equipped with a long siphon. Grows to 3 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful, harmless, and very active. Spends almost all its time buried in the sand with only its snorkel-like siphon exposed. Emerges rapidly when it smells food in the water column.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Shell color has a cream, beige, or light brown base, decorated with fine darker spiral lines or bands. Fleshy body is speckled white and grey. No visible sexual dimorphism.

Tank Setup: Must be provided with a fine sand bed at least 2 inches deep to allow burrowing behavior. Suitable for aquariums of 10 gallons or larger. Does not require rocks for climbing.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous detritivore and scavenger. Does not consume algae or corals. Feeds on detritus inside the sand bed, decaying organic matter, and meaty frozen foods or pellets.

Water Quality: Stable reef parameters. Salinity SG 1.020-1.025, 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 sand aerator and stirrer. Compatible with peaceful reef fish. May be targeted by hermit crabs seeking replacement shells.

Aquarium Breeding: Lays small egg capsules on glass or rocks. Pelagic larval stages are fragile and rarely survive standard home aquarium filtration systems.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation in sterile tanks or setups lacking a sandy substrate. Low calcium or alkalinity leading to shell degradation. Highly sensitive to copper treatments.