ECC Astraea Turbo Snails

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Astraea Star Snail; Astraea Conehead Snail; West Indian Star Snail; True Astrea Snail; Cat Eye Snail; Top Shell

Synonyms

Astraea tecta; Lithopoma tectum

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lesser Antilles, Atlantic coast of Brazil

Habitat

Turf algae zones on outer reef flats and reef crests among stony corals, depths of roughly 3-33 ft, occasionally to 50 ft; juveniles on shallower intertidal reef flats and rubble

Sourcing

Wild-caught

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

0.5 – 1.5 in (1.3 – 3.8 cm)

Lifespan

1 – 3 yrs

Min tank

10 gal (38 L)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Bottom, Rock & glass

Water

Temperature

72 – 78 °F (22 – 26 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.023 – 1.026 SG

Flow

Low-Moderate

Behavior & compatibility

Social

Solitary

Aggression to own kind

Low

Active

Night

Reef safe

Yes

Invert safe

Yes

Shrimp safe

Yes

Clean-up role

Algae, Biofilm

Population boom risk

Low

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Herbivore

Foods

Algae, Vegetables

Breeding type

Broadcast spawner

Breeding difficulty

Not bred in captivity

Sexing

Gonochoric with separate male and female individuals, but no external sexual dimorphism, so sexes cannot be distinguished by shell or body appearance.

Target feeding

Beneficial

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Care guide

Overview

Wild-collected from Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico reef flats, this snail carries a low, cone-shaped shell in mottled green, brown, orange, and cream tones. It patrols rock and glass around the clock, rasping film algae and diatoms down to a matte surface. Best added once a tank has established algae growth, and checked occasionally in case it lands upside down.

Care

Astraea snails are among the more reliable grazers for a reef cleanup crew, spending nearly all their time slowly working over rock and glass in search of film algae and diatoms. They do best in tanks that have been running long enough to grow a natural algae film, since bare, sterile setups leave them without enough to eat. One quirk to watch for is that they cannot right themselves if knocked onto their back, so an aquarist may need to flip a stranded snail before it starves or suffocates. They are intolerant of copper treatments and sudden shifts in salinity or temperature, so they should only go into a mature, stable system.

Feeding

Grazing on film algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria, and soft hair algae covers most of their dietary needs in an established tank. When natural algae growth is scarce, supplement with blanched spinach or lettuce, dried seaweed sheets, or algae wafers placed near the bottom. Because they feed passively while roaming, target feeding is rarely necessary or practical.

Tank mates

These snails are inert and defenseless beyond retreating into their shell, so they pair well with peaceful fish, corals, and other grazing invertebrates. Avoid keeping them with snail-eating fish such as certain wrasses, triggerfish, and puffers, and watch for hermit crabs that may try to evict them from their shells. They will not bother corals, sessile invertebrates, or aquascaping while foraging.

Breeding

Astraea snails are gonochoric, requiring separate males and females for reproduction, but broadcast spawning has not been documented as a reliable or repeatable event in home aquariums. Larvae have a planktonic stage that is essentially impossible to rear outside of specialized facilities. For practical purposes, hobbyists should consider this species not captive-bred and always replace losses with wild-collected stock.

Health

The most common cause of death in captivity is a snail that falls on its back and cannot flip itself over, leading to starvation or predation if not corrected quickly. They are sensitive to elevated nitrates and any copper-based medication, both of which can be fatal even in trace amounts. Sudden parameter swings during acclimation are another common stressor, so slow drip acclimation is recommended over standard floating methods.

Sources

1. ECC Astraea Turbo Snails - Bulk Reef Supply
2. Astraea Turbo Snail: Saltwater Invertebrates for Marine Reef Aquariums – LiveAquaria
3. Astrea snails
4. Astrea Turbo Snail (Lithopoma tectum, Astraea tecta)

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