Care
The Strawberry Conch is known from coastal lagoons and other protected areas where there is a sandy substrate, to depths of 20m (66ft). Here, these fascinating bottom-dwellers sift through the substrate with their trunk-like proboscis, feeding on benthic algae and detritus. These sea snails have remarkably advanced eyesight and move about in a series of lurches, using a combination of the single modified foot and the shell to provide leverage. The external colour of the shell may be mottled white, brown, or orange, with the interior a bright strawberry colour bordered with a black or brown inner lip. These industrious snails will spend most of their time sifting through the substrate for food items, consequently doing an excellent job of keeping the substrate turned over and well-oxygenated. At times, the snail may completely submerge itself in the substrate, with just the eye stalks and proboscis probing about above. The Strawberry Conch is safe in a reef setting, but obviously does require a good-sized open expanse of mature, live sand in which it can continue its ongoing search for food items. Avoid keeping with hermit crabs and large, aggressive fish.
Feeding
Although these snails feed primarily on algae and detritus in the substrate, they will also enjoy many prepared fish foods such as marine pellets and various small meaty frozen foods, along with Nori and other greenfoods.
Breeding
Fertilisation is internal and via copulation. When ready to reproduce, the male mounts a female by approaching her from behind and clinging to her shell with his foot. He then places the anterior portion of his shell over her shell lip, locating himself to her posterior right, where he is then able to insert his spade-like penis into the female via her siphonal notch. Whilst mounting, the pair may continue to go about their usual business, the female sifting the substrate and the male grazing on marine epiphytes coating the shell of the female. Once fertilisation has occurred, the female lays a long, tubular egg mass, which is adhesive and may be partially buried in the sand or attached to pebbles/rocks. The tube is continuous, several metres in length, and is folded back and forth upon itself, resulting in a compact oblong shaped mass holding several thousand eggs inside. Free-swimming veligers hatch out within 4-6 days. These delicate larvae drift on the ocean currents for several weeks before settling in suitable habitat on the sea floor.
