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Stomatella snail

Stomatella varia

Also known as Stomatella auricula, Fingernail Snail, Shell-less Snail, Slug Snail

SaltwaterSnail

Stomatella snail (Stomatella varia)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
0.8 in
2 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Trochidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs and rubble, from shallow water to about 50 m

Overview

The Stomatella snail is a small, fast-moving reef snail, and most keepers get theirs as a hitchhiker on live rock. It is often called one of the best invisible cleanup-crew animals, since it needs no attention once established. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The Stomatella snail has no operculum to seal itself inside its shell. When grabbed, it can drop the rear part of its own foot instead. The piece keeps wriggling to distract the predator while the snail crawls away and slowly regrows what it lost.

Caring for the Stomatella snail

Give Stomatella snails a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), with ordinary reef rock and glass to graze. Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. They need no special lighting, flow or feeding setup.

A Stomatella snail is an efficient grazer that works the rock and glass mainly after dark. It eats film algae, diatoms and leftover food. It leaves corals and other invertebrates alone. Quick predators such as six-line wrasses and peppermint shrimp will pick it off given the chance.

Each Stomatella snail is a simultaneous hermaphrodite that cannot fertilize itself, so any two in the same tank can pair up. In a stable reef system, a couple of them can multiply into a self-sustaining colony within months.

Good to know

The Stomatella snail belongs to a genus of small snails now placed in the family Trochidae, subfamily Stomatellinae. That group was long treated as its own family, Stomatellidae. The trade name Stomatella varia covers the common aquarium species, though some taxonomic authorities group it with the closely related, earlier-described Stomatella auricula. Unlike most cleanup-crew snails, it has a small, flattened, ear-shaped shell that it cannot fully retract into.

In the wild

The Stomatella snail lives across Indo-Pacific reefs and rubble zones, from shallow water down to around 50 m. It spends the day tucked into crevices and under rock.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Stomatella snail is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Stomatella snail need?

A Stomatella snail needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Stomatella snail need?

A Stomatella snail is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Stomatella snail eat?

A Stomatella snail grazes film algae, diatoms and leftover food from the rock and glass. It does most of its grazing after dark.

How big does a Stomatella snail get?

An adult Stomatella snail reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).

How does a Stomatella snail breed?

Stomatella snails are simultaneous hermaphrodites that cannot fertilize themselves, so any two can pair up. In a stable reef system, a couple can grow into a self-sustaining colony within months.

Related species