West Indian Top Shell (Cittarium pica): Breeding Notes

Cittarium pica is a large Caribbean top shell with separate sexes and external fertilization. It produces short-lived planktonic larvae and is not home-bred; it is also an overharvested Caribbean food species.

Overview

Cittarium pica, the West Indian top shell, is a large Caribbean snail (shell up to 137 mm) of the rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal, found on or under rocks at depths of 0–7 m. It is an herbivore feeding on a wide variety of algae and sometimes detritus, scraping algal growth from rock.

Sexing

The species is dioecious (separate sexes); males release sperm and females release eggs into the water, so sexes are not distinguished externally.

Spawning & Eggs/Larvae

Fertilization is external, with a reproductive season running from June to November. The larvae are lecithotrophic (yolk-feeding) and settle very quickly, after about 3.5–4.5 days — a short pelagic period typical of trochoidean snails.

Common Challenges

Despite the brief larval phase, the planktonic stage is still lost to filtration and predation in reef tanks. Given its conservation pressure, this species is better appreciated for its ecological role than targeted for breeding or harvest.