🐌 Trochus Snail (Trochus niloticus)
A Pale Green-to-Grey Pyramid Shell Often Marked With Maroon Stripes • A Useful Self-Righting Ability if Knocked Upside Down • Grows Fairly Large, Worth Planning Around Delicate Frags
 
📋 The Trochus Snail, also known as the Banded Trochus or Top Shell Snail, is a hardy, cone-shelled marine invertebrate valued for its reliable algae-grazing habits and a useful trait that sets it apart from many other cleanup crew snails: the ability to right itself if flipped upside down.
It comes from rocky reef environments across the Indo-Pacific, from the Indian Ocean through Indonesia to Northern Australia, distinguished by a distinctive pale green-to-grey, pyramid-shaped shell often marked with maroon stripes, sitting above a black-and-tan foot. Every Trochus Snail we ship is feeding well.
This species can grow fairly large as an adult, up to around 7-10cm, and larger specimens can accidentally dislodge small, loosely placed coral frags while grazing, worth planning for when aquascaping a delicate frag setup. Naturally nocturnal, it spends much of the day tucked among live rock, becoming a more active grazer after dark, working through diatoms, film algae, and cyanobacteria on rock, glass, and substrate. Unlike the closely related Turbo Snail, which will die if left stranded upside down, this species can flip itself back over unassisted, a small but meaningful difference that makes it a lower-maintenance choice for many reef keepers.
 
💡 Highlights
🌿 Reliable Algae Grazer: Effective against diatoms, film algae, and cyanobacteria
🔄 Self-Righting Ability: Can flip itself back over if knocked upside down, unlike many other snails
🌊 Fully Reef Safe: Compatible with corals and other reef invertebrates
🌙 Nocturnal Behaviour: Most active grazing occurs after dark
⚠️ Grows Fairly Large: Worth securing loose frags before adding a mature specimen