Bumble bee snail
Engina mendicaria
InvertebratesSaltwater
- Care level
- Easy
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Reef safe
- Yes
- Recommended tank
- 40 L
- Maximum size
- 2 cm
- Temperature
- 24–27 °C
- pH
- 8–8.4
- Diet
- Carnivore
Care at a glance
The bumble bee snail is a small snail with a black-and-yellow banded shell, from which it takes its name. Unlike most clean-up snails it does not eat algae: it is a carnivore that mainly feeds on worms and other small bottom life.
That makes it useful against unwanted bristleworms in the sand bed, but it may also take beneficial tube worms and small fauna. Keep only a few in a tank with a mature sand bed, and do not expect any contribution to algae control.
Related species
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Values are mainstream hobbyist guidance, not gospel — always watch what your own animals need.