Common name(s): Astraea or astrea snail, astrea conehead snail, astaea star snail

Scientific name: Astraea tecta

Family: Astraeinae

Origin: Carribbean

Maximum size: Up to 1"

Reef compatible Yes

Care: Astraea snails are the backbone of the cleanup crew in most marine aquariums. They are small saltwater snails that pour over your live rock and walls of your aquarium eating algae. Astraeas will eat diatoms and also cyanobacteria (see below). They are easy to care for as long as there is algae for them to graze on.

Breeding: Astraea snails can lay eggs in the aquarium and they can be seen as streaks of white dots on glass or walls.

Comments: Astaea snails have one Achilles heal in the aquarium. If they are knocked over or fall and land on their backs, they are not able to right themselves. Therefore, if your snail has 'fallen and it can't get up", you need to right it. If you have any doubts about the viability of a snail, remove it and sniff the shell. If the odor is foul, the snail is dead and you should remove it.

Astraea snail eating thru cyanobacteria.