[log in to unmask] wrote:
> I've been reading with interest the various posts about Florida's State
> Shell.  Currently, we are housing a Triplofusus giganteus in our home aquarium
> collected near Dunedin, Florida, July, 2005.  At that time I felt its size might
> be a bit too large for our 30 gallon tank, but over the past 13 months or so,
> he has become so fascinating to watch we have not returned it back to the bay.
> How I wish I had measured the shell!  A good guess is that it was
> approximately 5 1/2 in. long, and 6 1/2 to 7 in. around the largest part a year ago.
> Today it's a whopper compared to a year ago--7 7/16 in. long, and 9 3/8 in.
> around.  But what impresses me more than anything is how heavy our pet has become!
> I picked it up for the first time just several weeks ago, and was immediately
> shocked to realize this was no longer a little shell!
>
> Our Horse Conch really has an appetite!  We can keep very little else in the
> aquarium, as it eventually becomes his diet.  We have a True Tulip,
> Fasciolaria tulipa, that was already living in the aquarium when the Horse Conch
> arrived.  It's about 4 inches long, and for some unknown reason has never been
> approached by the Horse Conch.  Other than this, we definitely agree this mollusc
> certainly does attack and eat other mollusks.
>
> I wish I had kept a log from the very beginning, but only began noticing the
> huge number and variety of molluscs consumed by this fellow earlier in the
> year.  In the past 7-8 months, our Horse Conch has consumed---approximately 25
> small King's Crowns--Melongena corona, 5 or 6 Florida Fighting Conchs--Strombus
> alatus, several Banded Tulips--Fasciolaria lilium hunteria, two Say's Pear
> Whelks--Busycon spiratum pyruloides, 4 or 5  Lightning Whelks--Busycon
> contrarium, numerous Nassas--Nassarius vibex, Oyster Drills--Urosalpinx tampaensis and
> Marsh Periwinkles--Littorina irrorata.   Oh yes, many Olives--Oliva sayana, and
> Moon snails--Neverita duplicata have also been at tasty treat for this guy.
> Then there were the half dozen Spruce Creek Melongenas--Melongena
> sprucecreekensis.   To show that he's not a terribly picky eater, 3 of the invasive
> species of Asian Green Mussels--Perna viridis have also gone his way.  I've no idea
> what might be next--------
>
> Carolyn
> Clearwater, FL

Be sure to lock yer bedroom door at night!

m

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