Obvelatus Nassarius Snail

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed in the tropical Indo-Pacific, including the coral reefs of Indonesia, the Philippines, northern Australia, and Pacific islands. Inhabits shallow sand flats.

Taxonomy: Member of the family Nassariidae. Features a small, thick-walled, oval shell with a pointed spire and distinct longitudinal ridges, measuring about 1.5-2 cm in length. Equipped with a long siphon. Grows to 1.8 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 white, cream, or light beige base, often marked with light brown or grayish mottling on the ridges. Fleshy body is speckled white and grey. No visible sexual dimorphism.

Tank Setup: Must be provided with a fine sand bed at least 1-2 inches deep to allow burrowing behavior. Suitable for nano reefs of 5 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.