Olive Snail – Oliva sp.

Olive Snails (Oliva sp.) can come in a variety of patterns. They have elongated shells, usually with brown and tan markings. They are sometimes compared to the highly venomous Cone Snails in shape and appearance but are not dangerous to fish or aquarists.

Olive Snails bury themselves under the substrate and feed on snails, bivalves and other invertebrates. They are not safe for reef aquariums or aquariums with other snails and invertebrates but are good for keeping the sand bed in community fish-only systems aerated. They can be fed chunks of scallops and shrimp to help avoid exhausting the sandbed of food, leading to starvation of the snails.