Tapestry Turbo Snail (Turbo petholatus) Care Guide
Turbo petholatus is an Indo-Pacific marine snail with a polished marbled shell and a bright green operculum, kept in reef tanks as an algae grazer.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Turbo petholatus is a marine gastropod in the family Turbinidae, described by Linnaeus in 1758. It is known as the tapestry turban for its solid, polished and shining shell patterned in rich brown with dark bands, white blotches and narrow stripes. The species is widely traded for reef aquariums, where it grazes algae from rock and glass.
Taxonomy
- Family: Turbinidae
- Genus: Turbo
- Scientific name: Turbo petholatus
- Authority: Linnaeus, 1758
Habitat
The species occurs in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean off Madagascar, Mozambique, Chagos and Mauritius, and across the West Pacific from Western Australia to southern Queensland. It is a shallow-water reef gastropod associated with hard substrates.
Description
The imperforate shell reaches about 30 to 100 mm in length and has five flattened whorls with a circular aperture that is pearly within. The circular operculum has a bright green centre, giving rise to the name cat's-eye; one side is margined brown and the other white.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
- Lifespan: 1-3 years
Diet
Turbinid turbo snails are herbivores that graze continuously on algae using a radula. In aquaria they consume film algae, diatoms and filamentous growth; when algae are scarce, supplemental feeding helps prevent starvation.
Compatibility
The snail is peaceful and reef-safe, sharing tanks with most reef fish and corals. Predatory species such as triggerfish and pufferfish should be avoided, as they prey on snails.
Breeding
Reproduction involves a planktonic larval stage, which makes captive breeding impractical for home aquarists.
Breeding the Tapestry Turbo Snail (Turbo petholatus)
Overview
Turbo petholatus Linnaeus, 1758, the tapestry turban, is a turbinid sea snail with a solid, polished shell 30-100 mm long patterned in brown with dark bands and white blotches. Its operculum is the well-known glossy green 'cat's-eye'. The species ranges from the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean to the western Pacific from Western Australia to southern Queensland. It is kept in reef tanks as an algae grazer.
Sexing
Turban snails have separate sexes, but males and females of Turbo petholatus are externally identical; neither shell pattern nor the green operculum indicates sex. Reliable sexing requires examining the gonad, which is impractical for hobbyists.
Spawning & Larvae
Like other vetigastropods, Turbo petholatus reproduces by releasing gametes into open water, where fertilization is external. The fertilized egg becomes a swimming trochophore, then a planktonic veliger that feeds and disperses in the water column before settling and metamorphosing into a juvenile.
Common Challenges
- Free-floating veligers are drawn into skimmers, filters and pumps in a closed tank.
- External fertilization in open water makes deliberate pairing impossible in a display.
- Planktonic larvae need specialised live food and a dedicated larval system unavailable to most keepers.
- Settlement cues from natural reef substrate are absent in a typical aquarium.