Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
Drupella rugosa is a widespread shell snail, which is parasitic, and that also gladly in large troops, on stony corals, especially gladly on Arcopora.
The snail is corallivorous, i.e. it feeds on coral tissue and coral polyps, it is capable of destroying entire canes by its continuous feeding activity, what remains is a dead calcareous skeleton.
Scott Johnson's photos show the quantities of snails that besiege and feed on the corals.
These coral parasites do not stop at other coral genera, they also attack Psammocora, Pavona, Diploastrea, Goniastrea, Euphyllia and Porites, see the article "Prey selection of corallivorous muricids at Koh Tao (Gulf of Thailand) four years after a major coral bleaching event" in the appendix.
When buying new corals, please scan the sticks and frags carefully and remove snails with the help of tweezers to avoid a possible spreading to existing corals.
Synonyms:
Drupa concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Drupella concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Morula concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Murex concatenata Lamarck, 1822
Murex rugosa Born, 1778
Purpura alveolata Reeve, 1846
Purpura subturrita Blainville, 1832
Ricinula concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Thais alveolata (Reeve, 1846)
Thais rugosa (Born, 1778)
The snail is corallivorous, i.e. it feeds on coral tissue and coral polyps, it is capable of destroying entire canes by its continuous feeding activity, what remains is a dead calcareous skeleton.
Scott Johnson's photos show the quantities of snails that besiege and feed on the corals.
These coral parasites do not stop at other coral genera, they also attack Psammocora, Pavona, Diploastrea, Goniastrea, Euphyllia and Porites, see the article "Prey selection of corallivorous muricids at Koh Tao (Gulf of Thailand) four years after a major coral bleaching event" in the appendix.
When buying new corals, please scan the sticks and frags carefully and remove snails with the help of tweezers to avoid a possible spreading to existing corals.
Synonyms:
Drupa concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Drupella concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Morula concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Murex concatenata Lamarck, 1822
Murex rugosa Born, 1778
Purpura alveolata Reeve, 1846
Purpura subturrita Blainville, 1832
Ricinula concatenata (Lamarck, 1822)
Thais alveolata (Reeve, 1846)
Thais rugosa (Born, 1778)
