ORA Trochus Snail

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Banded Trochus Snail; Top Shell Snail; Commercial Trochus

Synonyms

Trochus niloticus

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific (introduced to Marshall Islands and other Pacific islands)

Habitat

Shallow coral reefs, rocky intertidal zones, and lagoons with hard substrate and algae-covered rock and glass surfaces

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

0.5 – 2 in (1.3 – 5.1 cm)

Lifespan

3 – 5 yrs

Min tank

20 gal (76 L)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Rock & glass

Water

Temperature

75 – 80 °F (24 – 27 °C)

pH

7.7 – 8.5

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.023 – 1.026 SG

Flow

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, Biofilm, Vegetables

Breeding type

Broadcast spawner

Breeding difficulty

Not bred in captivity

Sexing

Dioecious with no external morphological differences; sexes distinguishable only by gonad color under microscopy (male pale brown/cream, female dark green)

Target feeding

Beneficial

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Care guide

Overview

The ORA Trochus Snail is a mariculture-raised form of Rochia nilotica, produced on Marshall Island grow-out farms rather than wild-harvested. Its conical, brown-and-cream shell houses a strong foot that flips it upright when knocked over, a trait that distinguishes it from more delicate cleanup-crew snails. It grazes film algae and diatoms off rock and glass and needs an established tank, not a freshly cycled one.

Care

This snail is one of the hardier members of a reef cleanup crew, tolerating the swings in water quality that sink more delicate invertebrates. It needs an established tank with live rock and glass already coated in film algae and diatoms, since it will not do well in a freshly cycled aquarium with bare surfaces. Its conical shell and strong foot let it right itself quickly if knocked onto its back, a trait that sets it apart from many other reef snails.

Feeding

Feeding centers on grazing film algae, diatoms, and biofilm off rock and glass rather than the long hair algae that turbo snails prefer. Most established reef tanks supply enough natural grazing material without extra feeding, but if surfaces stay too clean the snail can starve over time. When algae is scarce, offering algae wafers or dried seaweed occasionally helps sustain the population.

Tank mates

It coexists peacefully with reef fish, corals, and other cleanup crew members such as cerith and nassarius snails, and does not bother sessile invertebrates. Predatory fish like puffers, triggers, and large wrasses will crack and eat it, so these should be avoided. Hermit crabs sharing the tank sometimes evict it from its shell to claim the shell for themselves, so keeping spare shells available reduces that risk.

Breeding

Spawning is possible in a stable, mature reef aquarium, with eggs and sperm released into the water column for external fertilization. Larvae are planktonic and rarely survive to settle in a closed aquarium system due to filtration and lack of appropriate microhabitat, so captive reproduction to replace losses is inconsistent despite occasional reports of natural spawning events. Commercial supply instead relies on dedicated mariculture facilities that rear juveniles to marketable size over several months.

Health

Well-acclimated specimens are generally trouble free, with most losses tied to starvation from insufficient algae rather than disease. Sudden salinity or temperature swings during introduction can stress or kill snails, so slow acclimation is important. A snail that stays flipped for an extended period or shows a receding body from the shell opening is usually failing and should be checked.

Sources

1. ORA Trochus Snail - ORA - Bulk Reef Supply
2. Buy ORA Trochus Snail – Captive Bred Reef Cleanup Crew
3. Trochus snail (Rochia nilotica) Aquarium Care | Atlarium
4. Trochus niloticus

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