How related are they?
Same subfamily, Turbininae: close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Astrea Snail belongs to Lithopoma (star snails, astrea snails), the Turbo Snail to Turbo (Turbo snails).
Find the Astrea Snail on the tree · Find the Turbo Snail on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Astrea Snail | Turbo Snail |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Mollusca Molluscs | |
| Class | Gastropoda Snails and slugs | |
| Subclass | Vetigastropoda top snails, turban snails, abalones and kin | |
| Order | Trochida Top and turban snails | |
| Superfamily | Trochoidea | |
| Family | Turbinidae Turban snails | |
| Subfamily | Turbininae | |
| Genus split | Lithopoma star snails (astrea snails) | Turbo Turbo snails |
| Species | — | Turbo fluctuosus Turbo Snail |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Astrea Snail | Turbo Snail |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Invertebrate · Snail | Invertebrate · Snail |
| Care level | Easy | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Herbivore | Herbivore |
| Favorite foods | Film algae and diatoms on rock and glass, Cyanobacteria, Short hair algae and other microalgae | Hair and other filamentous algae, Diatoms and green film algae on glass and rock, Dried seaweed (nori) |
| Max size | 1.5 in (3.8 cm) | 2 in (5.1 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 gal | 20 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.023–1.025 | 1.023–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 0–20 ppm | 0–20 ppm |
| Lifespan | About 3-5 years in captivity according to one care guide (Aquarium Breeder). A Florida field study found L. americanum reaches full size within 2 years and has a short lifespan (Herbert et al. 2023), so many aquarium snails may be near the end of their life within a few years. | Often only about 1-2 years in aquariums (hobby care guides); up to an estimated 3-5 years in the wild, though no formal ageing study was found. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |