What are these?? (Pics)

[Instar]

Clear eggs, about the size of a sesame seed. Clear shell looks like a fried egg, bisected down the middle. There are from 5 to 7 larva inside. Laid in singles, pairs and small clusters under the polyps of an encrusting gorgonian. Nassarius or trochus snail eggs? (Curious that my six lined wrasse is not ripe with eggs anymore, but, these can't be fish eggs.) Any ideas on what they are? First is after sunset, second picture is under actinics only.

http://www.maast.org/albums/Instar/Im003198unknownEggsCloseup.jpg

http://www.maast.org/albums/Instar/Im003198unknownEggsCloseup2.jpg

Thanks!

[::pete::]

Look like snail eggs. I get them all over my glass and when I clean I miss them and let them hatch. I have no doubt 300+ snails.
The nerite leave the white sacs, the astrea leave the squiggly lines so it has to be the nassairus because that is all I have in my tank.

[Instar]

Thanks Pete! I hope thats what they turn out to be or do they look exactly like your eggs?

[GaryP]

Larry,

They look like Cerith snail eggs to me. I have them all over my 75.


gary

[Instar]

Gary, Ceriths lay a kinky or coiled white strand. I've never seen them lay single clear things like this. What other kinds of snails do you have? Could these be the strombus grazer eggs?

[GaryP]

Sorry, I meant Nerite, not Cerith.

Gary

[Instar]

My Nerite eggs are white and full of little yellow cells or yoke. Your eggs are crystal clear like this?

[GaryP]

No, they are white like seasame seeds.

[Tim Marvin]

I have strombus grazers that lay eggs that look just like those. I usually see like 10-20 eggs per capsule. I have never seen any grow up though. Seems like one day they are just gone.

[::pete::]

Larry

Yes they are exact, but thanks to Tim I also have strombus grazers too @ 6.

They make it out. I dont have fish to eat them and as I said if I leave them there and clean around them in time they hatch and I can see the white specs roaming on the glass. Do they make it from there? Im not sure.

[::pete::]

Hope these help .... I came across them while searching for something else.

One (http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=5920&view=previous)

Two (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-02/rs/)

Three (http://www.reefgarden.net/reefgarden/id123.html)

[Instar]

I'll have to read those more closely, but, looks like a fit for the Nassarius snails in my tank. I wonder which kind as I have both the small atlantic ones and the large pacific ones?

Tim, perhaps the six lines or some other get the baby snails? I have a couple juvie strombus snails finally.

[::pete::]

I am going with nassarius snails. I added @40 to my tank and it is now @ 10 fold. The lettuce clip is always covered with snails getting what is up in the clip that the fish cant reach. This is also the area where most of the sacs are located.

[mharris7]

I had some snails sold as strombus grazers by IPSF that laid eggs exactly like that. They reproduced for quite a while in my tank. Dr. Shimek indicated that they are not strombids though. He mentioned what they could be but I don't recall at the moment. They're algae eaters though, just not in the strombid family. IPSF still sells them as strombus grazers though.

[::pete::]

I had a bunch all over the glass for the past couple days and thought Id try getting a pic. These are not egg sacs, this is after they come out and there is probably 40 -50 of them. I dont clean the glass or anything until they are gone.

Here is a group shot with an average size nassarius for comparison.

http://www.maast.org/albums/prafferty/DSCF1484.jpg

Here is a close up. I cant get it any closer with the lighting and background as it will distort.

http://www.maast.org/albums/prafferty/DSCF1486.jpg

[Instar]

Funny, I put a confirmation picture and reply in here a while back, but don't see it now. Here it all is again...

I think that this pic from my tank is of nassarius snails hatching. I think nassarius because of the breathing tube and the curve on the leading edge of the shell.


http://www.maast.org/albums/Instar/Im003250nassariusEggsHatchingCloseup.jpg

[Instar]

Prafferty - I haven't seen that many looking like your picture in my tank. I did put in 6 of those IPSF grazers a while back. I counted 10 of them a couple days ago. Do you have any 6 lined wrasses? Maybe my pair of them eats a lot of my baby snails?

[::pete::]

Larry
I had one, but since got rid of him. Noting in the tank feeds on my critters.

I also put in 6 Strombus Grazers from IPSF.

If you look close you can see the tube on one of them.

The ones I posted are probably younger as you can still see through them. Yours look more solid.

[Instar]

Probably loose a lot to my wrasses. 15 pyrmidellae snails escaped them though.

Not to change the subject, but, that clam in your avitar is really incredibly awesome!

[::pete::]

Hey thanks ... heres a better look.

http://www.maast.org/albums/prafferty/DSCF1019.jpg

[Instar]

I'm gunna short out my keyboard drooling here. If you ever get tired of it, I'll take real good care of it for you.
What did you do, glue it up there on the bluff like that?

[::pete::]

NO :grin: and no it came from Barry attaced to a rock that fit that spot perfectly.