Olive Snails

Once wet sand hits the beach, you may see intricate, meandering trails made by the lettered olive (Oliva sayana). This delicate snail hunts bivalves on its flat sandy environment before pulling them beneath its surface surface to eat them.

These olive shells, belonging to the subfamily Olividae, exhibit chestnut-brown markings resembling letters of the alphabet. Their well-developed stepped spire and long, narrow aperture with folds are distinctive features of their appearance.

Early Life and Education

As anyone involved with snail-breeding can attest, its pace can often seem snail-like. Estefanio Teofilo of Portugal’s Escargots Oeste snail breeding company quickly demonstrated to Reuters how quickly his matchhead-sized hatchlings become full-grown snails ready for dinner plates.

He explains that his farm uses greenhouses and “fattening parks” to breed fast-growing gastropods at an astonishing annual rate of 20 million. The tiny mollusks are then sold as appetizers at cheap “tasca” bars across the country; their shells also make attractive jewelry or can even be strung together into portieres (door curtains) to sell to tourists as souvenirs. Unfortunately, snails’ voracious appetite for greenery and seeds can pose problems; they have been known to consume hundreds of different crops as well as carrion, leaving no chance for growth or preservation.

Professional Career

Marine ecosystems rely heavily on these fascinating creatures for food sources and to maintain balance within ocean habitats.

Suspension feeders feed on particles floating in the water, helping keep it clean by clearing away food scraps and dead fish from it.

Olive nerite snails are efficient scavengers that make great additions to freshwater aquariums, helping rid tanks of unwanted algae and detritus. Nerites are peaceful creatures and will not harm live plants or fish; however, aggressive species like cichlids should be kept at a distance for best results. Ideally they prefer tanks with plenty of plants and decor for shelter as well as surfaces on which to feed on debris.

Personal Life

Shell collectors love collecting purple olive snail (Olivella biplcata) shells. You’ll often find them along sheltered beaches at low tide. Hermit crabs may take over abandoned ones; you’ll know which are still occupied because their opening will have an operculum covering its opening.

Carnivorous snails feed on other snails, clams and small crustaceans by sticking their siphon above the water’s surface and hunting down prey by sticking their feet beneath its sand surface. Once they detect something tasty they grab hold with one foot before pulling it beneath to digest their meal.

Olive nerites are excellent algae eaters and make great aquarium inhabitants; however, aggressive fish species should be kept separate as these predatory fish could quickly turn them into dinner! Olive nerites require brackish water to breed; therefore they won’t survive in freshwater environments.

Net Worth

Sodium Olivate (Saponified Olive Oil), Water, and Snail Secretion Filtrate.

These beautiful marine gastropod mollusks, also known as Olivas Sayana or Lettered Oliva are considered the official State shells of South Carolina. As carnivorous sand-burrowers feeding on bivalves and carrion, their shells usually display various muted yet attractive colors that may even feature patterns or subtle designs.

Reef tanks benefit greatly from having snails as they provide excellent algae eaters as well as helping remove harmful microfauna that plague coral tanks. Since these snails are nocturnal and hide during the daytime hours, making them a good choice for beginner aquarists as they won’t splash around and wet the decor when emerging during the daytime hours. While hardy creatures, snails prefer plenty of hiding spaces within a tank with lots of live rock to explore and should provide ample hiding places within its walls for them.