PORT A CONCH LAID EGGS

[moe]

I'm really excited about this, guys. I came back home from getting some ro/di water for my tank. As I was doing some maintenance work on my tank, I notice long white pen like things on a rock a group of 50 or more. Two conch were in between, and I notice that a couple of rocks were taken out of place.

So I stare at a moment thinking the impossible. I call my wife in excitement. "Look! look! The conch laid eggs". She thought I brought them from the LFS and put them there. I said "No way! why would I have thrown rock on top of my zoa's to put white looking things in the tank.

Anyway I just very excited bout this. I tried to bread clowns unsuccessful, and here nature turns the table on me. An animal that I caught in the wild give me the biggest surprise.

If there any breeder who could rear these baby give me a holla.

[secretweapons22]

Thats sweet, hope they hatch, I see eggs pretty often, but they always seem to get eaten before they make it.

[Mr Cob]

Very cool. Got pics Moe?

[edshas2]

Yeah i would like to see what they look like, ive had some snails lay eggs here on the glass but they get eaten really quick

[Third Coast Tropical]

Conch or whelk?.....is the soft part of the snail orange?

[moe]

Conch or whelk?.....is the soft part of the snail orange?

not from what I see. I dive under the rock for these guys in port a

[moe]

Very cool. Got pics Moe?

we got pic however the USB port is giving us some problems. trying to figurer out anyway of downloading the pic's

[JoshOdphi]

i wanna c pics...hope u can upload em.....

[recoiljpr]

Are you sure it's not a whelk Moe? Most conchs that I know of in Texas (i'm not an expert, just a lay person) have orange feet. A left handed whelk shell can look a lot like a conch shell.

Here is a picture of a left-handed whelk http://www.shelltrips.com/KeyWest/pics/busycon.gif

Here is a picture of a horse conch (see how the foot is orange) http://www.manandmollusc.net/Horse/Horse%20Conch_01-06a.jpg

[reefer man]

PRETTY COOL

[FossilReef]

I would imagine that if they're from Port A that they're oyster drills...

[moe]

GOT PIC?
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt279/moe_076/IMG_6021.jpg
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt279/moe_076/IMG_6024.jpg
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt279/moe_076/IMG_6024-1.jpg
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt279/moe_076/IMG_6040.jpg

[moe]

u could see the "conch" below the eggs.
my shy angel came to hog the spot light.

[moe]

:thumbs_up:

[recoiljpr]

Moe, i'm not a marine biologist but those don't look like conch eggs to me. Conch eggs from what i've seen are a sprial case that looks somewhat like a drier vent tube. Whelks also lay a similar egg case as Conchs do

http://tonypratt.com/wp-content/uploads/sabellaria-sunset-at-canary-cr-2-211-2009_021109_2857.jpg


I think Fossil is right. I found some images of Oyster Drill eggs, look somewhat like yours.

http://img92.imageshack.us/i/drilleggstm8.jpg/#q=oyster%20drill%20eggs

On that site, I found an interesting blurb. If that is the case, you may be soon overrun with babies. :-)

Oyster drills are unusual among univalves in that they produce young that do not go through a planktonic stage. Eggs are laid on the underside of rocks or shells (sometimes its latest victim’s) and protected in yellow vase-shaped egg capsules that are glued to the substrate. Each capsule may contain two dozen young and a single female may lay as many as a dozen of these capsules at a time. When the embryos develop one of them will eat through the top of the capsule and then all the miniature snails come marching out single file.

[moe]

huh...how long would these eegs take to hatch?

[JoshOdphi]

like that singapore.....

[princer7]

Oyster drills are destructive little snails that prey directly on small shellfish, most notably the American oyster (http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/invert/amero.htm). Oyster drills attack their prey by making a small hole through the shell, using a drill-like organ called the radula. The radula is aided by the secretion of sulfuric acid to carve away the shell and make the hole. Once the hole is made, the animal will digest the soft meat of the prey. The mark left by an Oyster drill can be identified as wide, round holes tapering to a small point in the shells of mollusks.

Watch out for your clams!!!

[moe]

do you guys know what might eat the eggs?

[recoiljpr]

do you guys know what might eat the eggs?

I have no clue Moe. I would probably pull them out and quarantine them (eggs and snail) to be on the safe side. Otherwise, you may end up with a whole bunch of hungry snails looking for lunch. If it isn't an oyster drill, quarantining them would still be the safest bet untill you know for sure. I have no idea how to feed the adult one, as far as I have read, they prey on shelled animals. So maybe giving it store bought clams. But that is with a disclaimer that introducing those store bought clams opens up a whole 'nother can of worms (parasites, diseases, etc).

[moe]

you are right about that. i will take your advice. many thanks to you all who have given feedback.

[Mr Cob]

Give us another update when they hatch.

[moe]

Give us another update when they hatch.

no doubt

[moe]

well needless to say my wife took the advice and pick out the egg. Also removing all snails in the tank. So I place the eggs on the 10 gal and the hermit crabs had a feast. I hope to had see them hatch.

[nubz]

tht sux... it was most deffinantly eggs because i see them all the time snorkeling.
those were pretty sweet and you can proly do it again. i dont think the were oyster drills cuz the ones tht look like that in my tank eat algea ask TCT