Red Sea Trochus*

This listing is for the Red Sea/East African variation of Trochus maculatus, a highly variable species. This species is considerably larger than the other Trochus regularly carried in the hobby, in the second photo for this listing you can see four Banded Trochus riding on the back of an African Trochus. (Mobile users swipe right). Trochus snails consume film algae, hair algae, diatoms and some species of cyanobacteria. These snails are excellent for cleaning the rocks and glass of your aquarium, but tend to shy away from the sand. Trochus snails can right themselves, but like other Top Snails they struggle to do this, and should be righted when introduced to the aquarium for best results.

Well fed and mature Trochus snails can breed in captivity, and do so by broadcasting spawning. In the wild, breeding occurs at night around the new moon, the darkest time of the month. Males release sperm before the females eggs. Prior to spawning Trochus snails spend more time at the surface of the water. In the wild this helps increase the amount of sperm and eggs that will be suspended in the water column, where the eggs are fertilized. The reason Trochus snails can be bred in captivity despite a free swimming larval stage is because the duration of that stage is very short. The fertilized eggs hatch, develop into larvae, and finish metamorphosis into snails the same week they were spawned. New Trochus snails will recruit to hard surfaces, and be about the size of a pin head at that time. It takes about a year for them to reach adult size.

Specimens are shipped around 1.5-2 inches in diameter.  African Trochus tend to exhibit dormancy when added to an aquarium. It is common for them to spend the first few days simply staying in the same spot. They will attach to a hard surface a day or more before moving, so for best results place them on some rock work. 

This species requires UPS Next Day Air and does not qualify for free shipping.