Cat's Eye Turbo Snail - Turbo sp.

Cat's Eye Turbo Snails (Turbo sp.) are more elaborately-colored cousins to the popular Mexican Turbo Snail. Cat's Eye Turbos have contrasting light and dark striped or mottled patterns on their shells.

Turbo Snails (Turbo sp.) are some of the most common and popular snails for aquarium algae control. There are many different species found around the world in tropical and some temperate (cooler water) region. All have a similar appearance with rounded, generally smooth shells. Most are shades of tan, brown or gray but some species can be brighter orange, whitish, or almost black. Colorations can be mottled, striped or checkerboard-like. Turbo Snails have thick, shell-like operculums (the "trapdoor" that protects the snail when withdrawn into its shell). These operculums can be smooth, spiraled, or bumpy, depending on the species.

Turbo Snails are Reef Safe algae eaters. Although some may become clumsy as they grow larger in size, they do not eat corals, polyps or invertebrates. They will feed on microalgae, macroalgae, and some diatoms and cyanobacteria. If the algae supply in the aquarium becomes low, they should be fed supplements like Spirulina and dried or fresh macroalgaes. These and any other snails should not be added to new aquariums or to aquariums without algae to feed on unless they are supplementally fed.

Snails should always be acclimated to a new aquarium upon arrival. Some species of Turbo snails or those collected from cooler-water regions like the Californian or Mexican coastlines may be short-lived in higher-temperature reef aquariums. Regular water changes will also help replenish mineral content in the aquarium to promote snail health and growth.