Bumblebee Snail

Bumblebee snails are small marine whelks, usually Engina mendicaria in the trade, marked with tight black and yellow bands over a ridged shell. They are often bought as clean-up crew, but it is worth understanding what they actually do: they are carnivores, not algae eaters. Most of their time is spent working through the sand bed and rock crevices hunting small worms.

Aquarium care

• Small — around 1 to 2 cm.
• A carnivore and scavenger; it eats small worms, leftover meaty food and detritus.
• It will not control algae, so do not buy one for that job.
• Needs a sand bed and live rock with crevices to work through.
• Largely nocturnal and often out of sight during the day.
• Sensitive to copper-based medication; drip acclimate on arrival.

They suit established reef and fish-only tanks as part of a mixed clean-up crew alongside algae-grazing snails that cover the job they do not. Keep them out of tanks where a healthy bristleworm or feather duster population is wanted, since those may end up on the menu. Avoid housing them with pufferfish, triggerfish or large wrasses.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is available for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. More in the saltwater collection.