Can anyone ID this hitchhiker?

[kushka]

Does anyone know what this is? appeared on some new live rock - he is about 1cm big and is a bit like a whelk but stuck to the rock like a barnacle. A little flap opens and he pops his little antenni out and shoots a web-like substance out to catch food etc.

trying to upload a picture (Not sure why but it says the image is invalid..?)

Thanks

 

[kushka]

Yay, managed to add a picture of him

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure what it is, hopefully someone else will chime in here...and
:welcome:

 

[MartinE]

Looks and sounds like a Vermetid snail, harmless but can irritate nearby corals with its mucus net.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks and sounds like a Vermetid snail, harmless but can irritate nearby corals with its mucus net.

+10

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, likely a vermetid snail.

I despise those things! They can make a real mess, and are very unsightly. You need to crush its calcerous shell off the rock, or cover it in epoxy if you decide you want to get rid of it. Be careful as its shell can be very sharp.

 

[Anonymous]

Vermetid snail, they blow snot webs into the water but are basically harmless. If you notice a spike in their numbers you likely have a nutrient issue somewhere else in your system.