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- Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus - Stomatella Limpet Snail
Product Description
Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus Taxonomy:
Margarita Snail belongs to the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda, Family Trochacea, Genus Margarites and Species pupillus. Scientific names:
The scientific name of Margarita Snail is Margarites pupillus. Other common names:
Margarita Snail is also known as Pearl Snail, Stomatella Limpet Snail, Little Margarita and Pearly Topped Snail. Origin or natural range:
Margarites pupillus originates from the temperate marine waters of Eastern Pacific region, the Caribbean Sea including Alaska and Baja California. Size:
Margarita Snail grows up to a size of around one inch to two inches. Color:
Margarites pupillus occurs in grey and brown colors. Aggression:
Margarita Snail is non-aggressive towards the marine aquarium members. Compatibility:
Margarites pupillus is reef compatible. Venom status:
Margarita Snail is non-poisonous in nature. Habit & Habitat:
- Margarites pupillus occurs deep in the temperate marine water bodies where the temperature is as low as thirty-nine degrees Centigrade.
- In its natural habitat, Margarita Snail is found on rocks or on sand.
- Margarites pupillus is Nocturnal in habit and hides during the day time, while it is active at night.
- Hardiness:
Margarita Snail is very hardy. Life expectancy:
Margarites pupillus has a short life. Morphology: - The body of Margarita Snail is shaped like a turban.
- The mantle of Margarites pupillus is fleshy and secretes the shell.
- The shell of Margarita Snail is smooth.
- Breeding:
Margarites pupillus reproduces sexually in which the male and female gametes are released in the water and fertilization occurs therein only. Growth enabling environment in your marine aquarium: Aquarium habit & habitat: - Tank type: To host Margarita Snail, you should have an established reef type marine aquarium.
- Aquarium set-up:
- Keep ample rocks, rock caves, sand, corals and Live Rocks in your marine aquarium for Margarites pupillus to hide in and search its food on.
- Keep Margarita Snail with cold water marine invertebrates such as, Sand Dollars, Catalina Gobies and Red Foot Snails to name some.
- The water and snail ratio should be one Margarites pupillus per two gallons of aquarium water.
- Temperature of water: Fifty to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit or ten to twenty degrees Centigrade.
- Specific gravity of water: 1.023 to 1.025.
- pH of water: 8.00 to 8.40.
- Illumination: Margarita Snail requires lighting in the marine aquarium it inhabits.
- Acclimation: Slowly acclimate Margarites pupillus to your marine aquariumÍs environment using Slow Drip Acclimation Method. The slow acclimation process generally takes a minimum time period of two hours. Feeding & Nutrition:
- Diet: Margarita Snail is herbivorous in feeding habit.
- Food content: Margarites pupillus eats phytoplankton, especially Hair Algae or Filamentous Algae, Cyanobacteria and diatoms.
- Supplements:
- Add Calcium as dietary supplement for the shell growth of Margarita Snail. Maintain the Calcium level between three hundred and fifty ppm and four hundred and fifty ppm.
- You may supplement the food of Margarites pupillus with dried seaweeds as well.
- Breeding: Margarita Snail does not generally breed in a marine aquarium.
- Benefits: Margarites pupillus is an algae eater and therefore, keeps your reef tank free of algae.
- Care:
- Margarites pupillus is easy to maintain.
- An increase in the temperature of the aquarium water may reduce the life of Margarita Snail therein.
- Fluctuations in pH and temperature may give pH shock and temperature shock, respectively, to Margarites pupillus in your reef tank.
- Nitrates and Copper in any form in your marine aquarium may prove lethal for Margarita Snail therein.
- AquaristÍs level:
Even beginner aquarists can venture for Margarites pupillus.