Pauline Walsh Jacobson, USA
Info
Aliger gigas (Linnaeus, 1758)
Aliger gigas also known as the Strombus gigas and is very interesting for aquarists with large aquariums, not only because of its size of 30cm, but especially because it can help to solve certain typical problems in seawater tanks:
The large housing snail eats filamentous algae, cyanobacteria turf, diatoms and plant detritus!
This species is found in the tidal zone and off the coast on coral reefs, especially on algae, coral sand and seaweed habitats
Adults prefer sandy algae areas; they can also be found on gravel, coral debris, smooth hard corals and beach rock bottoms. Rarely on soft bottoms of mud and/or silt.
Spawning occurs on a type of calcareous sand created by the fragmentation of coral reefs, including large quantities of calcareous skeletal remains of small molluscs and calcareous algae. Females deposit the egg mass on calcareous skeletal remains of small molluscs and calcareous algae
After 3-5 days, the eggs hatch into velils, which feed on phytoplankton; after 21 days they undergo a metamorphosis to the juvenile stage, where they remain buried in the sand and emerge in seagrass beds to feed; the adult animals return to the shallow coastal waters to spawn.
Synonymised names:
Eustrombus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Lobatus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Strombus canaliculatus Burry, 1949 · unaccepted
Strombus gigas Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted (original combination)
Strombus gigas pahayokee Petuch, 1994 · unaccepted
Strombus gigas verrilli McGinty, 1946 · unaccepted
Strombus horridus M. Smith, 1940 · unaccepted
Strombus lucifer Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Strombus samba Clench, 1937 · unaccepted
Aliger gigas also known as the Strombus gigas and is very interesting for aquarists with large aquariums, not only because of its size of 30cm, but especially because it can help to solve certain typical problems in seawater tanks:
The large housing snail eats filamentous algae, cyanobacteria turf, diatoms and plant detritus!
This species is found in the tidal zone and off the coast on coral reefs, especially on algae, coral sand and seaweed habitats
Adults prefer sandy algae areas; they can also be found on gravel, coral debris, smooth hard corals and beach rock bottoms. Rarely on soft bottoms of mud and/or silt.
Spawning occurs on a type of calcareous sand created by the fragmentation of coral reefs, including large quantities of calcareous skeletal remains of small molluscs and calcareous algae. Females deposit the egg mass on calcareous skeletal remains of small molluscs and calcareous algae
After 3-5 days, the eggs hatch into velils, which feed on phytoplankton; after 21 days they undergo a metamorphosis to the juvenile stage, where they remain buried in the sand and emerge in seagrass beds to feed; the adult animals return to the shallow coastal waters to spawn.
Synonymised names:
Eustrombus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Lobatus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Strombus canaliculatus Burry, 1949 · unaccepted
Strombus gigas Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted (original combination)
Strombus gigas pahayokee Petuch, 1994 · unaccepted
Strombus gigas verrilli McGinty, 1946 · unaccepted
Strombus horridus M. Smith, 1940 · unaccepted
Strombus lucifer Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Strombus samba Clench, 1937 · unaccepted
