heliacus zoanthid predator snail
There is a very strong chance that this is a Heliacus sp. snail (Order: Mesogastropoda, Family: Architectonicidae). They are a hitchhiker commonly found on colonies of zoanthid polyps. A distinguishing characteristic of this snail is that the "door" (operculum) that covers the animal when it retracts into its shell is cone shaped (as seen on the picture page). This snail is a nocturnal predator of zoanthid polyps and should be removed. When removing this snail, be sure to check for smaller ones nestled in between the polyps.
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