Marbled Limpet AKA Porcelain AKA Turtle Limpet Nerite Snail (Septaria porcellana)

The Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail is a very unique and uncommon species that comes in a variety of great shell patterns!

The Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail (Septaria porcellana), also known as the Porcelain Limpet Nerite Snail, is a beautifully-marked, limpet-like gastropod that is very new to the freshwater aquarium world. Its shell is described as “tent-like” or similar to half of a clam’s shell. These snails are rather compact and small-bodied compared to snails of similar size, so they produce less waste and contribute less to the bio-load of the aquarium. The Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail LOVES the surface of glass and rocks and it can cling to those surfaces with unbelievable strength. Due to its strength and the protective shape of its shell, the Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail can often be kept in an aquarium with animals that are typically not compatible with most other snails and gastropods.

 
Unlike many limpets, the Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail is a highly herbivorous species that eats a great deal of algae and biofilm. It is native to freshwater, brackish, and marine tidal areas where it congregates with other snails and scours rocks, contributing heavily to preventing the overgrowth of algae. Though it sometimes originates from brackish and marine environments, the Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail is highly adaptable to fresh and brackish water. It is widely believed that it spawns in brackish or marine environments and spends the majority of the rest of its time in freshwater. Breeding in freshwater has been reported, but such reports are unsubstantiated thus far. We have kept the Marbled Limpet in our freshwater tanks for months to ensure its longevity, and it has thrived magnificently.

 
Care for the Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail is basic and undemanding.  It requires clean, mature water with the availability of plenty of algae and biofilm to thrive, but it will also usually eat high-quality dry foods. We recommend dosing GlasGarten Bacter AE for optimal algae and biofilm growth.The Marbled Limpet Nerite Snail's small size and low bio-load make it an excellent candidate for nano aquariums. 

We now offer B-grade Marbled Limpet Nerites as well.The B-grade variants mean that the snails may have minor shell damage, erosion, or calcification, but are otherwise perfectly healthy. Responsibly wild sourced snails do not always come in with perfect shells so we offer these at a discounted price to help find them good homes as well even though their shells are not in pristine condition.