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 Freshwater Snails: 

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Quick guide to care of your snails : 

 

This short and quick guide to apple snails is intented for those people who don't have the time to read the whole apple snail guide section. It's a rude all-in-one version which does not discriminate between the specific species, but as apple snails are easy animals when it comes to their needs, this small guide should help you with the basic care. 

 

Housing:

 

  • Aquarium with coverplate or pond.

  • 5 - 10 cm (2 - 4 inch) Air space above the water.

  • 10-liters/2.5 gallon for each mid-sized snail (±5cm/2inch. diameter).

 

 

Food:

 

  • Vegetables (lettuce, cucumber, small pieces of carrots, green beans and celery).

  • Algea and aquarium plants.

  • Weeds from the garden.

  • Fish food (pellets and tablets).

  • Frozen foods, brine shrimps, dead fish and even other snails and their eggs.

 

 

Water:

 

  • Calcium rich water.

  • pH: 6.5- 8, preferably above 7.

 

 

Light:

 

  • No need for artificial illumination like TL-tubes.

  • Shadow rich places preferred.

 

Temperature:

 

  • 18 - 28°C (65-82°F).

  • Never below 18°C (65°F).

 

 

Reproduction: 

 

  • Separated sexes (gonochoristic).

  • Reproduction peak in spring.

  • Female can store sperm for months.

 

 

Eggs: 

 

  • aid in clutches above the water (most species)or in the water.

  • Several clutches / month possible.

  • Keep humid, not wet (aerial eggs)!

 

 

Hatching: 

 

  • After 2 - 3 weeks (temperature dependend).

  • Little snails leave the clutch and head for the water (aerial eggs).

Young snails

  • Same food as parents, although debris, algea and small food particles preferred).

  • Protect them against large fish.

 

Comprehensive detailed guide to care of ornamental aquatic snails:

Courtesy to : www.applesnail.com 

 

 - Feeding : 

 

Apple snails are easy animals that do well in a common aquarium or a pond. They can live together with most fish species and they can be used to keep the aquarium clean of algae. Not all apple snail species are a good choice for aquaria as their voracious appetite for aquatic vegetation is often not desired and the bigger species can cause problems with the water quality in smaller tanks. 

 

The purpose of this guide is to provide a solid guide for everyone keeping these snails and to avoid the most common misconceptions and pitfalls.

 

Species specific needs : 

 

Most apple snails are voracious plant eaters (herbivores or macrophytophagous) that eat a wide range of vegetation. Held in captivity, they do well on common vegetables in combination with fish food. 

 

Unfortunately, many species have a great appetite for aquatic vegetation and algae are not their preferred food. In such cases these scavengers can reduce the aquatic vegetation very quickly. They can ruin a beautiful aquarium within days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Algea on the glass of an aquarium with teeth marks of apple snails (Marisa cornuarietis).

Pomacea flagellata eating lettuce. (picture not licenced under creative commons)

Apple snail eating another (dead) snail (Pomacea flagellata).

However not every apple snail deploys the same appetite, it mainly depends on the species of apple snail. So in this way, it could be useful to know which snail species has been released in the aquarium. It should be emphasised in this context that the identification of apple snails is difficult. The difficulty to determine the species lies herein that many apple snail species are very similar in appearance. A basic identification guide for apple snails is available in the species section.

 

It would be a nice thing if the apple snail names were applied correctly, but the most commonly used names: mystery snails, golden apple snail, ivory snails and so on are used for many of the apple snail species and most aquarium shops aren't even aware of the different species at all. 

 

The colours of the apple snail aren't useful to determine the species as many variations occur within a single species. Examples of this can be seen at the Pomacea canaliculata section and the Pomacea diffusa section. A better approach is the shell shape, but even that can be tricky and is only useful for certain species. Luckily, only a few species are common in the aquarium trade, which simplifies the whole matter. So I'll describe only the needs for these specific species. If you don't manage to find out which species you have then it's a good idea to try if they eat your plants before putting several of these creatures in your aquarium.

 

Pomacea diffusa (spike-topped apple snail, Brazilian apple snail, golden mystery snail and ivory snail) prefers dead and rotting plants above fresh green ones. Occasionally they eat the softer vegetation. Pomacea diffusa snails are thus a good choice for an aquarium equipped with a nice collection of water-plants. What is even more: they tend to starve to dead in the middle of the vegetation if you don't provide them with enough food. 

 

The Pomacea diffusa apple snails do very well on all kind of fish food and it could be useful to try some soft vegetables for those cases they would like some green food. Very handy types of fish-food are those tablets sold for algae-eaters, but other types of fish-food will do as well. If you like to keep the expenses low, just buy pond-fish food. This comes in a big quantity for a relatively low price and has a big advantage: it keeps floating, so it won't make a mess on the bottom of your aquarium and the left-over can be removed easily. Although floating food might seems a bit strange for snails, apple snails know very well how to handle it: they go to the surface and form a funnel with their foot in which they let the water from the surface flow through (ciliary feeding, as can be seen in ecology section and in the anatomy section). The food at the surface then floats towards the snail and gets stuck in this funnel after which the snail eats the catch.

 

Pomacea canaliculata (channeled apple snail), Pomacea maculata (giant apple snail, peruvian apple snail), Pomacea paludosa (Florida apple snail) and Marisa cornuarietis (columbian apple snail, giant ramshorn) are less selective in their food choice and they devour all vegetation. 

 

To keep these snails healthy, feed them on a regular base with vegetables (lettuce, cucumber, small pieces of carrots, green beans and celery), weeds from the garden and ordinary fish food (see above)

 

Important: Always thoroughly wash the vegetables if you're not sure that they are come from a biological farm. Vegetables should be free of insecticides and molluscides and it won't hurt to play safe. You probably won't feel anything when you eat vegetables with some residues of these products on it, but the snails could be harmed!

 

 

 

 

The teeth of an apple snail reside on the rasp-like tongue, which is pulled out and retracted to gather food. 
(Pomacea canaliculata).

Other types of food : 

 

esides vegetables and fish food pellets, apple snails also eat all kinds of other food if available. Apple snails won't refuse brine shrimps and other frozen foods or even dead fish and insects. Even other snails can appear on the menu of an apple snail (this has been reported for Pomacea canaliculata and Marisa cornuarietis). This makes them also a good option for tank cleaning. 

 

Apple snails do eat microscopic vegetation (micropagous) that grows on stones, the wall of the tank etc., but don't expect them to 'clean' the tank completely from algea. 
If you want your snails to get out of the water, just attach some food partly above the waterline. It's partly because of this behaviour (leaving of the water getting their food) which makes them such a problem in the rice-fields of Asia and Hawaii, where they feed on the young rice-crops.

How much food?: 

 

This a merely a trial-and-error option: just see how much they eat on a daily base and supply them with that amount every day. This would be a useful approach if it wasn't that many apple snail species tend to aestivate (have a dry-time hibernation) or start to hibernate (domancy during the winter season). The latter situation is the most common form of inactivity in apple snails that are kept in captivity. During this inactivity period, the amount of food they need decreases, while in spring and summer the amount of energy needed increases, when they become active and starts with their reproductional efforts (egg-production). 
These seasonal differences in activity levels are mainly induced by temperature, which also means that this seasonal variation decreases, but does not necessarily disappears, when the temperature is kept constant throughout the year. 
A better feeding approach would thus be to vary the amount of food: less food in fall and winter, while increasing the amount to ad libidum (food as much as they can eat) in spring and summer.

-Housing : 

 

1- Water:

 

Apple snails that are found in the aquarium trade don't make high demands when it comes to water quality: they can live very well in clear, streaming, oxygen-rich water as well in still water, with rotting organic waste, containing almost no oxygen. 
In general one should apply the same rules for water quality as with fish (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc) and the water should not be too soft. Like most snails, apple snails prefer calcium rich water. If the calcium concentration in the water isn't high enough (soft water), they aren't able to build a strong shell and become susceptible to shell damage, but even in good conditions, some snails still get little holes in the shell surface, especially in the older parts of their shell. This is a naturally occurring process and as long it's only at the surface, you shouldn't worry too much about it. In the 'snail disease' section, you can see an example of a snail with a damaged shell. Young and healthy snails are somewhat protected against this as the outer layer of the shell consist of a protein layer that prevents a breakdown of the shell, but damaged shells and shells of older snails are quite vulnerable to shell detoriation.

 

Warning! If the tap-water in your area contains copper and/or other metals, use one of these water preparation products that catch away those metals bofere putting the snail in the water. Apple snails are very sensitive for these compounds (especially copper). You won't be the first one loosing a snail due to this snail-toxic substances in the water. If you see that the snails become completely inactive or if the snails, especially the little ones, try to leave the water after a water change: get a product to treat the water (like aquasafe or for those with access to a lab: use EDTA or something similar). 

 

When there are many apple snails in a tank, the water tends to become cloudy because apple snails have a large amount of microorganisms in their intestine, which help to digest the food, and which are expelled with the faeces. These micro-organisms (amoebocytes) should not cause any harm to the fish and can even serve as a food source for young fish. Fresh food (lettuce etc.) are more likely to induce this micro-organism based clouding of the water. If the snails are fed with dry fish food, the water will stay cleaner. It is a good idea to do regular water changes if you have many creatures in one tank, just like one would advise with fish, to maintain good water quality and to avoid accumulation of toxic substances and waste. By the way, apple snails are good indicators for the oxygen-level in your tank. When there isn't much oxygen in the water, the snails will regularly come to the surface to inhale fresh air through the breathing siphon. Only when there is enough oxygen for them in the water, they don't need their lung and solely depend on their gill.

 

The amount of water needed for each snail depends on the size of the snail, the filtration capacity and the temperature. As a general rule of thumb one should provide at least 10-liters/2.5 gallon for each mid-sized snail (±5cm/2inch. diameter). Or another way: count each apple snail as a fish of the same length as the snail's shell diameter. Be cautious not to overcrow your snail tank. While it hasn't been proven that apple snails actually 'sense' that they are in large numbers in a small space, the water quality quickly detoriates and substances that inhibit the snail growth are increasing quiker. Regular refreshment of a part of the water is highly recommended. 

 

The water doesn't have to be deep (2 or more times the shell height). Remember that most apple snail species inhabit swamps in which the water level is quite low. Be sure to have a coverplate on your aquarium or at least make sure that they can't get out of it or otherwise: don't be surprised to find a snail on the ground in the morning. Don't worry, they can easily survive out of the water for more then a week, but they risk damaging their shell when hitting the ground. 
An important thing, often forgotten, is to provide an air space above the water to allow the snail to leave the water to deposit her eggs. This air space should be at least the same height as the size of the shell. If the snail does not have access to sufficient air space, the animal will have to deposit the eggs below the water, where they will drown. Obvious, this does not count for those species that deposit the eggs below the surface like the giant ramshorn (Marisa cornuarietis), Asolene spixi, Lanistes species and others. Note!: Somespecies are more likely to creep out of the water than other species do. 
As apple snails prefer to hide themselves in darker places during daytime, some stones, a trunk or some plants are well appreciated. They also have the habit of burying in the substrate in search for food and when they aestivate in the winter periods. If the soil on the bottom is thick and soft the snails can be hard to locate.

 

2- Light:

 

pple snails are most active during the night, which already indicates their preference for the darker places of their environment. During the day, they remain mostly in the shadow of plants and creep away in the bottom and/or mud. When the dark comes in, the apple snail becomes more active and crawls around in search for food, a mating partner or a good place to deposit eggs. 
Keep in mind that there is a large variation in activity levels amongst the different apple snail species. For example Pomacea canaliculata, the common channeled apple snail or better known as the Golden apple snail (incorrect! 'Golden' should only be used for yellowPomacea diffusa snails), is relatively active during the day and often risides close to the water surface. Pomacea flagellata, the Mexican or Maya apple snail, hides in the bottom during the day. The well known Pomacea diffusa (mystery snail, spiketopped apple snail, golden apple snail) fits in between of these two activity levels. 
Apple snails don't need artificial illumination like TL-tubes, but as you probably want to observe them, a standard aquarium light-lid would suffice. 
If you keep the snails in sunlight, like happens with an outside pond, the shell of the snails become covered with algae, giving them a green and hairy look. This might look scary, but it's harmless for the snails. 
Suggestion: If you would like to raise baby apple snails, it would be a good idea to provide enough light, so that some algae can grow in the aquarium. Little apple snails have a better chance to survive the delicate first weeks after hatching if they have access to algae as food source. 
Light dependent growth has been observed by Pomacea glauca. If the snails were kept in a completely dark environment, their growth decreased, compared with animals that were kept in a 12 hour/day light environment. (Zischke et al. 1970)

 

3-Temperature

The optimal water temperature for apple snails lays between 18 to 28°C (65-82°F). As with many cold-blooded animals, apple snails are more active at higher temperatures. At higher temperatures, they eat faster, creep faster and they grow faster. Also higher temperatures mainly induce the reproduction of the apple snail. At lower temperatures (18°C/65°F) the apple snail enters a dormancy state in which they creep away in the mud and become very inactive. Temperatures below 18°C/65°F should be avoided as the mortality rate quickly increases.

 

Below: Reported temperature limits in various apple snail (Ampullariidae) species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 -Reproduction : 

 

There are a few things to be considered to successfully breed apple snails: 
- Since apple snails are gonochoristic (separated sexes), a male and a female snail are needed(obvious).
- Apple snails reproduce when the temperature rises in combination with abundance of food available. 
- For those species that lay their eggs above the water, one should provide enough air space (+15cm/6 inch). 
- Some species might need an aestivation period in the mud before they breed successfully (does not apply to the most common species).

 

It is also important to mention that female apple snails can store sperm for months, so even the eggs of a single snail can be fertile. With no male snail present, female apple snails occasionally produce infertile eggs. Obviously, these do no hatch. Last but not least: most species lay their eggs above the water and they should stay there while the eggs of aquatic layers should stay below the surface. 
At the right circumstances an apple snail can produce one clutch of eggs every 4-7 days during several weeks. After this period, productivity decreases and the female snail regains strength. The species, temperature and availability of food are the main factors in the egg production. 
Read more about the life cycle of apple snails here.

Mating snails (Pomacea diffusa).

Eggs: 

 

Species that lay eggs above the waterline (genera: Pomacea, Asolene (Pomella) and Pila): After the eggs are deposited, they are soft and have a rather milky, pink colour. After a few hours, they harden and get their definitive colour (from pale pink to raspberry-red or even greenish depending of the species). It might happen that the eggs at the surface dry out, on which they get a lighter colour. 
The size of the eggs varies from 2.2 to 3.5 mm / 0.01 to 0.14 inch each (in case of Pomacea canaliculata), whereas Pomacea paludosa and Pila globosa for example lay eggs with a diameter of 4 to 7 mm / 0.16 to 0.28 inch. The eggs at the surface probably won't deliver you many little snails when the air humidity is not optimal, but often the eggs deeper inside the clutch thrive well. 
It's no problem to transfer the egg clutch to another location, as long as you are careful not cause too much damage. A damages clutch is more prone to infections and evaporation. The best way to move the eggs is by wetting the clutch, wait a few hours and then carefully move the clutch over the surface until it comes off. Obviously this method is of most successful on glass or other smooth surfaces.

 

It's important to keep the eggs in a moist, but not wet environment. Never keep these eggs under water (this will drown the embryos)! Keep the temperature between 18 and 28°C (65-82°F). The higher the temperature, the faster the snails will hatch. 
Note!: Not all apple snails from the genus Pomacea lay their eggs above the waterline in a clutch. Pomacea urceus lays about 50 to 200 orange eggs at the inside of the shell near the aperture. The eggs are brooded in this incubation chamber, closed off with the mother's operculum (shell-door), while the snail aestivates in the dry mud during the dry season. The young snails hatch during this period and crawl around under the female's shell until the rainy season starts. A side effect of this reproduction method is visible as eggscars on the mother's shell at the place where the eggs were attached. 
In the picture section there are more pictures of apple snail eggs.

 


 

Eggs, Pomacea canaliculata, 7 days old. Note the reddish colour.

Egg clutch, dried out before the little snails left (Pomacea diffusa).

Aquatic eggs in gelatinous mass,Marisa cornuarietis, 2 days old.

Species that lay their eggs under the waterline (genera: Asolene (Asolene), Felipponea, Lanistes and Marisa):
The eggs are embedded in a transparent gelatinous mass and are relatively small when they are laid, but take up a lot of water within the first days and swell significantly (from 3 mm to 6 mm). The need for temperatures between 18 and 28°C (65-82°F) applies to these eggs as well. Obviously these eggs should stay below the surface! 

 

 

Hatching

After 2-4 weeks (depending on the species and the temperature, 14 days at 25°C in the case of Pomacea canaliculata) the first little snails should appear. If they don't after 3 weeks, you can try to help the young snails. It might seem rude, but it works: just break the clutch in 2 - 3 parts and those in the water. You can even wash the snail out of the clutch by moving the broken clutch parts through the water. Note that this isn't neecessary when the moisture of the air is sufficient. 
If you don't see little snails after breaking a 4 weeks old clutch, it can be that the eggs aren't fertilised or that the air moisture was too low. In the latter case the yolk is very thick or the eggs are completely dried out and filled with air. You might want to wait until the snails appear on the natural way (it can take several days before they all are hatched), but keep in mind that if the clutch isn't kept moist enough, the young snails won't be able to make their way out and subsequently die.

The young snails (Pomacea diffusa) are making their way out.

Young snails

Many young snails might die within the first weeks of their existence, but those who survive grow quickly. At a size of 2.5 cm /1 inch (2-5 months) in case of Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea diffusa, they are able to reproduce and the next generation will appear if you don't remove their eggs in time. 
From the day they hatch, the young snails eat the same as their parents, so there is no need for special babysnail-food. Keep in mind, however, that it's often difficult for a young snail to obtain enough food in a completely clean tank. The long distances they need to walk in such case to reach the food could simply be too much. As a result of this, it's often easier to raise little apple snails in a tank with algae on the walls so the little snails have enough food (algae) without traveling all around. 
The young apple snails can stay in the same aquarium together with their parents without being eaten by them as long as there is enough food available. However, larger fish with preference for (little) snails can be a reason to keep the young ones in a separated aquarium until they have grown somewhat bigger. 
If one plans to transfer the little snail to a separate tank, be sure that their new environment is already a somewhat stable eco-system. In other words: put 1/3 water from a pond or another aquarium with 2/3 fresh water and let the new tank stand for 2-3 weeks with vegetation, without other inhabitants before adding little snails. Such approach certainly increases the success rate with raising young snails. 
And last, but not least: algae and debris might not be appealing to the human eye, however it's certainly appreciated by the little snails.

Note the red intestines of these young snails. This is caused by the reddish, carotene-rich yolk they have lived on when they weregrowing inside the eggs. 
Pomacea diffusa snails don't have such a red body when they are born (also see the picture above of hatching Pomacea diffusa snails).

Baby Pomacea canaliculata snails, 1 hour after leaving the eggs.

Pomacea canaliculata snail after 5 days. Size about 2.5 mm.

-Transport:

 

The best way to transport apple snails is put them in a plastic box with moist synthetic filter cotton or damp paper towels. The snails are better protected against shell damage during transport this way and as apple snails can stay out of the water for days to weeks without problems (they are air-breathers with a shell door), this method is easy and safe. It's important to make some holes in the lid to provide fresh air when they need to travel for a week or more. Large apple snails can also be wrapped in newspapers and put in a paper bag. Transport in a water filled plastic bag is only advised for small snails. 
In humid conditions (that you achieve with the method described above), many species can survive for long periods. For example Marisa cornuarietis is known to survive for about 120 days out of the water if the humidity is kept at 80%.

 

Apple Snail : 

 

Apple snails are tropical and sub-tropical freshwater snails from the family Ampullariidae (sometimes referred to as Pilidae). The Ampullariidae are divided in several genera. The genera Asolene, Felipponea, Marisa, andPomacea are the New World genera (South America, Central America, the West Indies and the Southern U.S.A.), while the genera Afropomus, Lanistes and Saulea are found in Africa. The genus Pila is native in both Africa and Asia. 

-Apple Snails Species : 

 

Apple snails belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda (snails), subclass Prosobranchia, order Caenogastropoda (Mesogastropoda in older literature), superfamily Ampullarioidae, family Ampullariidae (Apple snails). The whole apple snail family (Ampullariidae) is divided in 7 (or 10, depending of the authority followed) genera , and contains about 120 different species*. However, much work has to be done to identify all species, to rule out the misidentified species and to remove the synonyms.

 

1- Afropomus: 

 

The African genus Afropomus (Pilsbury & Bequaert, 1927) consists of only one species: Afropomus balanoideus (Gould, 1850). 
This snail can be found in West-central Africa (Liberia and Sierra Leone).

 

Species

  • Afropomus balanoideus (Gould, 1850)

    

Characteristics of the genus Afropomus:

 Shell:surface:eroded

shape:egg-shaped

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round

shell-opening (aperture):oval

umbilicus:closed

colour:yellow to light brown with 0 to 18 small, dark spiral bands

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:short

labial tentacles:short

breathing siphon:short

colour:grey to black, no spots

Eggs:aquatic (?)

2- Asolene : 

 

The new world genus Asolene (d'Orbigni, 1837) contains 7 species. 
The type species is Asolene platae (described by Matin, 1809 as Helix platea). In the past, this genus was considered as a subgenus of Pomacea (Dall, 1904 and Hylton Scott 1943), but is now recognized as a seperate genus. 
Depending of the authority followed, the snails from the genus Asolene are considered to belong to one genus with 2 sub-genera or to 2 seperated genera: Asolene (d'Orbigni, 1837) and Pomella (Gray, 1847). What these apple snails have in common are the medium to short siphon and their internal anatomy. At the other hand, the eggs in subgenus Asolene are aquatic, wereas those in Pomella are laid above the water. This observation supports two seperate genera instead one genus with two subgenera. Another option could be that Pomella should be added to the Pomacea genus. So the last word hasn't been said on this topic yet. 
The shape and size of these snails differs a lot amongst the two subgenera as can be seen below. 
The Asolene snails inhabit the rivers of Paraguay, Southeastern Brazil, the region in the Argentina-Brasil border and Uruguay.

Species

Subgenus Asolene

  • Asolene (Asolene) petiti (Crosse, 1891)

  • Asolene (Asolene) platae (Maton, 1809)

  • Asolene (Asolene) pulchella (Anton, 1839)

  • Asolene (Asolene) spixi (d'Orbigny, 1837)

  • Asolene (Asolene) sp.

Subgenus Pomella

  • Asolene (Pomella) americana (v. Ihering, 1919)

  • Asolene (Pomella) fairchildy (Clench, 1933)

  • Asolene (Pomella) megastoma (Sowerby, 1825)

Asolene (Asolene) spixi.

Asolene (Pomella) megastoma.

Characteristics of the genus Asolene:

 

Asolene asolene

Shell:surface:smooth or malleated

 

Asolene pomella

shape:egg-shaped, globose

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round base with flat upper part

shell-opening (aperture):round base, pointed top

umbilicus:narrow to wide

colour:yellow to brown with faint spiral bands

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:medium (less then shell diameter)

labial tentacles:medium

breathing siphon:short to almost non-existing

colour:gray, often with dark patches and/or lighter spots.

Eggs:Subgenus Asolene: aquatic
Subgenus Pomella: above the waterline

Asolene asolene

Asolene pomella

3- Felipponea : 

 

The new world genus Felipponea (Dall, 1919) contains 3 known species (however it could turn out to be only 2). The type species is Felipponea neritiformis (Dall, 1919). 
These snails live in turbulent waters like small streaming rivers. This is reflected in their neritoid shape (less resitance) and strong, thick shell. Snails with large and fragile shells won't survive the conditions in this environment. 

 

Species

  • Felipponea elongata (Dall, 1921)

  • Felipponea iheringi (Pilsbry, 1933)

  • Felipponea neritiformis (Dall, 1919)

 

Characteristics of the genus Felipponea:


Shell:surface:smooth

shape:neritoid, sex difference in shape

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round base with flat upper part

shell-opening (aperture):neritoid

umbilicus:narrow

colour:yellow with some faint spiral bands

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:short

labial tentacles:medium

breathing siphon:none

colour:

Eggs:aquatic

 

 

Note: Fabio Faraco is doing research on the Felipponea genus and he expressed his doubts about the existence of 3 different species in this genus. The different species described might be caused by the obvious difference between the male and the female snail (take a look at Felipponea neritiformis).
In such case, only 2 Felipponea species exist as far as know. Keep in mind that the last word in this hasn't been said.

4- Lanistes : 

 

The african genus Lanistes (Montfort, 1810) contains 21 species. 
The type species is Lansites carinatus (Olivier, 1804). 
A distinguishable feature of the Lanistes genus is the sinistral shell (the shell is turned to the left), while the body is dextral. This paradox is called hyperstrophic sinistral.

 

Species

  • Lanistes bernardianus (Morelet, 1860)

  • Lanistes carinatus (Olivier, 1804)

  • Lanistes ciliatus (v. Martens, 1878)

  • Lanistes congicus (O. Boettger, 1891)

  • Lanistes ellipticus (v. Martens, 1866)

  • Lanistes farleri (Craven, 1880)

  • Lanistes graueri (Thiele, 1911)

  • Lanistes intortus (v. Martens, 1877)

  • Lanistes lybicus (Morelet, 1848)

  • Lanistes nasutus (Mandahl-Barth, 1972)

  • Lanistes neavei (Melvill & Standen, 1907)

  • Lanistes neritoides (Brown & Berthold, 1990)

  • Lanistes nsendweensis (Dupuis & Putzeys, 1901)

  • Lanistes nyassanus (Dohrn, 1865)

  • Lanistes ovum (Peters, 1845)

  • Lanistes pseudoceratodes (Wenz, 1928)

  • Lanistes purpureus (Jonas, 1839)

  • Lanistes solidus (Smith, 1877)

  • Lanistes stuhlmanni (v. Martens, 1897)

  • Lanistes varicus (Müller, 1774)

 

 

 

Characteristics of the genus Lanistes:

 


Shell:surface:smooth

shape:egg-shaped, globose

direction:left (hyperstrophic sinistral)

whorls:round base with flat upper partshell-opening (aperture):round base,

Lansites ovum.

Lanistes lybicus.

pointed top

umbilicus:narrow to wide

colour:yellow to brown with faint spiral bands

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:long

labial tentacles:long

breathing siphon:short

colour:grey with darker spots

Eggs:aquatic

5- Marisa : 

 

The new world genus Marisa (Gray, 1824) contains 2 known species. 
Due to their a discoidal shell (the spine isn't elevated above the body whorl and thus making the shell almost flat), these snails are not always recognized as being an apple snails. However, from an based on the anatomy, these snails definately belong to the Ampullariidae snails are are probably closely related to the Asolene genus. 
In the aquarium trade these snail are often know as the 'giant ramhorn snails'. 
Type species is Marisa cornuarietis (Gray, 1824, originally described as Marisa intermedia). 
The genus name Ceratodes (Guilding) is a junior synonym for Marisa.

 

 

Species

  • Marisa chiquitensis = synonym for Marisa cornuarietis (Linné, 1758)

  • Marisa cornuarietis (Linné, 1758)

 

Characteristics of the genus Marisa:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Shell:surface:smooth, with growth lines in adult snails

shape:discoidal (all whorls in one plane, no eleveated spine)

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round

shell-opening (aperture):kidney-shape

umbilicus:wide

colour:yellow to dark brown with 0 to 6 dark spiral bands

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:long

labial tentacles:long

breathing siphon:short

colour:gray-yellow with or without (yellow variety) dark spots

Eggs:aquatic

 

Marisa cornuarietis.

6- Pila : 

The old world (Africa and Asia) genus Pila contains around 30 species. The type species is Pila ampullacea (Linné, 1758). 
The status of some at least 2 Pila members is still unclear and it remains to be seen wether or not these snails could be classified in a seperate genus: Turbinicola (Annandale & Prashad, 1921) or that it's more justified to create a sub-genus Pila (Turbinicola). 

 

The type species is Turbinicola saxea (Annandale & Prashad, 1929).

 

Older Pila snails have a calcified inside of the operculum (shell door). This is characteristic for the snails of the Pila genus and hasn't been described by the other genera of the Ampullariidae family. 
The eggs are white, calcified and deposited above the water surcae on vegetation, rocks, or other objects. No coloured eggs are known in this genus, which makes the a good exclusion criteria, once the eggs have any colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

  • Pila africana (v. Martens, 1886)

  • Pila ampullacea (Linné, 1758)

  • Pila brohardi (Granger, 1892)

  • Pila cecillei (Philipi, 1848)

  • Pila conica (Gray, 1828)

  • Pila globosa (Swainson, 1822)

  • Pila occidentalis (Mousson, 1887)

  • Pila ovata (Olivier, 1804)

  • Pila pesmei (Morelet, 1889)

  • Pila polita (Deshayes, 1830)

  • Pila saxea (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pila scutata (Housson, 1848)

  • Pila speciosa (Philipi, 1849)

  • Pila virens (Lamarck)

  • Pila wernei (Philipi, 1851)

Pila ampullacea.

Subgenus Turbinicola : 

 

  • Pila (Turbinicola) aperta (Prashad, 1925)

  • Pila (Turbinicola) saxea (Annandale & Prashad, 1921

Characteristics of the genus Pila:

 


Shell:surface:smooth to rough (growth lines)

shape:egg-shaped, ovoid to globose

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round

shell-opening (aperture):oval to egg-shaped

umbilicus:wide, narrow to closed

colour:yellow, dark brown to almost black, with or without spiral bands

Operculum:corneous outsidecalcified inside

Body:head (cephalic)tentacles:long

labial tentacles:long

breathing siphon:medium

colour:grey-yellow to grey, with dark spots

Eggs:above the waterline

 

7- Pomacea  : 

 

Synonyms for Pomacea (Perry 1810) are Ampullarius (Lamarck 1799) and Conchylium (Cuvier 1816). 
The New World genus Pomacea inhabits a large geographical area from the southern of the USA to the La Plata Bassin in Argentina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxonomy:


Over 100 species are described in the genus Pomacea since 1758. However, the validity of many species is doubtfull and in reality the number of species is much lower. The problem with the taxonomy in Pomacea is thea most species descriptions are based on only a few shells, without a decent detailed anatomical study to descriminate between species. Also the authors often did not take in account the geographical distribution and possible variability within on a single species. A good example of this is the flagellata complex: over 30 species have been described, while nowadays, they are all considered to be varieties of a single species, eventually with 4 sub-species.


Many authors attempted to reduce the number valid species and tried to reclassify similar species into single species. At present, about 50 nominal species are known, but even this number is likely higher than the actuall number in the field. The inevitable question here is: "How do you define a species?". In the old-style conchology, it was not uncommon to classify every variation as a new species. This completely neglects species variability and genetic relationships. 


Current insights in genetics, evolution and species variability require an new approach in which new techniques are used to address the classification of the Pomacea genus. This implies the use of DNA and chromosome studies, comparing internal morphology, interbreeding experiments, immunological test and a more statistical based analysis of available data.

 

The newest insights reduce the number of actuall species and subdivides the Pomacea genus in several clades. Within these clades, several groups are recognized, consisting of species that are very similar and might eventually turn out to be a single species. Below is an overview of the new classification of the Pomacea genus. Keep in mind that this is a hypothesis and is subject to changes. 


One of teh lmost striking changes are the recognition that Pomacea bridgesii actually consist of two different species: Pomacea bridgesii (Reeve, 1856) and diffusa (Blume, 1957). This is based on mitochondrial DNA analysis. The effect of this changes is that the common spike-topped apple snail in the aquarium trade should now be considered to be Pomacea diffusa (Blume, 1957).

For a good review articles about the taxonomy of the Pomacea canaliculata groups, check out these references:

 

  • CAZZANIGA, N. J. 2002. Old species and new concepts in the taxonomy of Pomacea (Gastropoda: Ampullariidae). Biocell, 26(1): 71-81. Full article on-line available: [Click here]

  • Timothy A Rawlings at al. 2007: The identity, distribution, and impacts of non-native apple snails in the continental United States)

 

Want to identify an apple snail of the Pomacea genus? 
There is no complete identification guide available in the literature. 
Keep in mind that many species described, might be different forms of a single species. Many descriptions of species are based solely on only a few, empty shells. Colour, banding and shell surface (rough, smooth etc.) are no good identification points as these might vary a lot within a single species. An example of this variation of shell colour can be seen at the Pomacea canaliculata pictures. The height of the spine/body whorl isn't a reliable determinant (especially when having only a few snails available) either as this can differ as well within one species. 

 

For the snails of the Pomacea canaliculata group, it's quite hard to distinguish the species as the external differences are subtle and the variation within species is high. A possible way do distinguish these snails is the colour of the eggs*:

 

SpeciesEgg colour

Pomacea (pomacea) canaliculata (Lamarck, 1819)    Bright orange

Pomacea (pomacea) insularum (D'Orbigny, 1839)    Pink

Pomacea (pomacea) lineata (Spix, 1827)                      Pink

Pomacea (pomacea) doliodes (Reeve, 1856)                Pink

Pomacea (pomacea) haustrum (Reeve, 1856)             Green

Pomacea (pomacea) gigas / maculata (Perry, 1810)   Green

* This is based on reported egg colours, and it could well be that even the egg colour varies withing one species. Also the food composition, the development stage of the eggs and the humidity of the air can affect the egg colour.

Species according the 'old' classification system:

 

  • Pomacea amazonica (Reeve, 1856) synonym for Pomacea haustrum (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea aulanieri (Hupé, 1856)

  • Pomacea auriformis (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea australis = synonym for Pomacea diffusa (bridgesii)

  • Pomacea avellana (Sowerby, 1909)

  • Pomacea baeri (Dautzenberg, 1901)

  • Pomacea bridgesii (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea bulla (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea buxea (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1819)

  • Pomacea castelloi (Sowerby, 1894)

  • Pomacea catamacensis (Sowerby, 1874)

  • Pomacea cerasum (Hanley)

  • Pomacea cingulata (Philippi, 1852)

  • Pomacea citreum (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea columellaris (Gould, 1848)

  • Pomacea conoldea (Martens, 1899)

  • Pomacea cornucopia (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea costaricana (Martens, 1899)

  • Pomacea cousini (Jousseaume, 1877)

  • Pomacea crassa (Swainson, 1823)

  • Pomacea crosseana (Hildago, 1871) = synonym for Pomacea maculata (Perry, 1810)

  • Pomacea cumingi (Reeve, 1843)

  • Pomacea cuprina (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea gluaca (Linné, 1758)

  • Pomacea cyclostoma (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea da costae (Sowerby, 1909)

  • Pomacea decussata (Moricand)

  • Pomacea dolioides (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea d'orbignyana (Philippi, 1852) = synonym for Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1819)

  • Pomacea electrina (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea erogata (Crosse & Fisher, 1890) = synonym for Pomacea flagellata erogata (Crosse & Fisher, 1890)

  • Pomacea erronea (Nevill, 1877)

  • Pomacea erythrostoma (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea urceus guyanensis (Lamarck, 1819)

  • Pomacea eumicra (Crosse & Fisher, 1890)  = synonym for Pomacea flagellata flagellata (Say, 1827)

  • Pomacea exigua (Philippi, 1852)

  • Pomacea eximia (Dunker, 1853)

  • Pomacea expansa (Miller, 1879)

  • Pomacea diffusa (Blume, 1957)

  • Pomacea figula (Spix, 1827) = synonym for Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea flagellataflagellata (Say, 1827)

    livescens (Reeve, 1856)

    erogata (Fisher & Crosse, 1890)

    dysoni (Hanley, 1854)

  • Pomacea ghiesbreghti (Reeve, 1856)  = synonym for Pomacea flagellata livescens (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea gigas (Spix, 1827) = synonym for Pomacea maculata (Perry, 1810)

  • Pomacea glauca (Linné, 1758)

  • Pomacea gossei (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea granulosa (Sowerby, 1894)

  • Pomacea guyanensis (Lamarck, 1819)  = synonym for Pomacea urceus guyanensis (Lamarck, 1819)

  • Pomacea haustrum (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea hanleyi (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea hepataria (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea hopetonensis (Lea, 1839) = synonym for Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea immersa (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea haustrum (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea impervia (Philippi, 1852)

  • Pomacea innexa (Crosse & Fisher, 1890)  = synonym for Pomacea flagellata flagellata (Say, 1827)

  • Pomacea insularum (D'Orbigny, 1839)

  • Pomacea interrupta (Sowerby, 1909)

  • Pomacea labiosa (Koch)  = synonym for Pomacea flagellata flagellata (Say, 1827)

  • Pomacea lattrei (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea levior (Sowerby, 1909) = synonym for Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea lymnaeformis (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea aulanieri (Hupé, 1856)

  • Pomacea maculata (Perry, 1810)

  • Pomacea martinezi (Hidalgo, 1866) = synonym for Pomacea columellaris (Gould, 1948)

  • Pomacea metcalfei (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea miamensis (Pilsbry, 1899)  = synonym for Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea modesta (V. d. Busch, 1859)

  • Pomacea monachus (Crosse & Fisher, 1890)  = synonym for Pomacea flagellata flagellata (Say, 1827).

  • Pomacea nais (Pain, 1949) (could be a synonym for Pomacea lineata)

  • Pomacea nigrilabris (Philippi, 1851) synonym for Pomacea sordida (Swainson, 1822)

  • Pomacea nobilis (Reeve, 1856)  = synonym for Pomacea urceus (Müller, 1774)

  • Pomacea notabilis (Reeve, 1856)  = synonym for Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea novaegranadae (V. d. Busch, 1859)

  • Pomacea oblonga (Swainson, 1820-23) = synonym for Pomacea urceus urceus (Müller, 1774).

  • Pomacea olivacea (Spix, 1827)  = synonym for Pomacea urceus olivacea (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea oviformis (Deshayes)

  • Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea papyracea (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea pealeana (Lea, 1838)

  • Pomacea pernabucensis (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea pertusa (Sowerby, 1894) = synonym for Pomacea castelloi (Sowerby, 1894)

  • Pomacea petiti (Crosse, 1890) = synonym for Pomacea Asolene petiti (Crosse, 1891)

  • Pomacea physis (Hupé, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea physoides (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea pinei (Dall)  = synonym for Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea platae (Maton, 1809)  = synonym for Asolene platae (Lamarck)

  • Pomacea producta (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea pulchra (Gray)

  • Pomacea puncticulata (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea urceus guyanensis (Lamarck, 1819)

  • Pomacea puntaplaya (Cousin, 1887)

  • Pomacea purpurascens (Guppy, 1864)

  • Pomacea quercina (Spix, 1927) = synonym for Pomacea urceus yatesi (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea quinquidensis (Miller)

  • Pomacea reyeri (Cousin, 1887)

  • Pomacea robusta (Philippi, 1852) = synonym for Pomacea columellaris (Gould, 1948)

  • Pomacea rotundata (Say)  = synonym for Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829)

  • Pomacea rufilineata (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea scalaris (D'Orbigny, 1835)

  • Pomacea schrammi (Crosse, 1876)

  • Pomacea semitecta (Mousson, 1873)

  • Pomacea simplex (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea sinamarina (Bruguière)

  • Pomacea sordida (Swainson, 1822)

  • Pomacea storeria (Jay, 1839)

  • Pomacea strebeli (Martens)  = synonym for Pomacea flagellata flagellata (Say, 1827)

  • Pomacea swainsoni (Philippi, 1851)

  • Pomacea tamsiana (Philippi, 1852)

  • Pomacea tenuissima (Jousseaume, 1894)

  • Pomacea testudinea (Reeve, 1856) = synonym for Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea trochulus (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea urceusurceus (Müller, 1774)

    guyanensis (Lamarck, 1819).

    yatesi (Reeve, 1856)

    olivacea (Spix, 1827)

  • Pomacea violacea (Valenciennes, 1833) = synonym for Pomacea flagellata flagellata (Say, 1827)

  • Pomacea yatesi (Reeve, 1856)  = synonym for Pomacea urceus yatesi (Reeve, 1856)

  • Pomacea zischkai (Blume & Pain, 1952)

  • Pomacea zonata (Spix, 1827)

Characteristics of the genus Pomacea:


Shell:surface:smooth to rough (growth lines), sometimes malleation

shape:cone-shaped, ovoid to almost discoidal

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round

shell-opening (aperture):oval

umbilicus:narrow to wide

colour:yellow, dark brown to almost black, with or without spiral bands

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:long

labial tentacles:long

breathing siphon:long (2.5 times body length)

colour:grey to yellow-grey with or without darker spots

Eggs:above the waterline

 

Pomacea diffusa.

Pomacea canaliculata.

Pomacea flagellata.

Pomacea glauca.

8- Saulea: 

 

The african genus Saulea (Gray, 1867) contains one living species and one fossil species. The type species is Saulea vitrea. 

 

Species: 

 

  • Saluea lithoides (Pain & Beatty, 1964, fossil)

  • Saulea vitrea (Born, 1780)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characteristics of the genus Saulea:

 


Shell:surface:smooth

shape:egg-shaped

direction:right (dextral)

whorls:round base with flat upper part

shell-opening (aperture):egg-shaped, round base, oval top

umbilicus:narrow

colour:variable, brown with irregular vertical yellow band or vice versa

Operculum:corneous

Body:head (cephalic) tentacles:long

labial tentacles:long

breathing siphon:short

colour:grey-yellow with darker spots

Eggs:?

 

 

 

Pomacea maculata 

golden apple snails Pomacea canaliculata

Marisa eggs

Assassin Snail (Clea helena)

 

 

QUICK STATS:

 

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Peaceful

Water Conditions: 68-74° F, KH 2-15, pH 6.5-7.5

Max. Size: 3"

Color Form: Black, Orange

Diet: Omnivore

Compatibility:  

Origin: Indonesia

Family: Pachychilidae

 

Clea helena 

overview:

 

Control runaway snail populations with hired assassins! The Assassin Snail, or Snail Eating Snail, is a small, easy-to-keep freshwater invert completely harmless toward fish and shrimps, but quite effective in reducing nuisance snail explosions. It is also extraordinarily eye-catching in planted aquariums, featuring a bright yellow with chocolate brown striped shell.

 

In the wild, you'll find the Assassin Snail living in clean, fast-flowing streams with sandy or muddy substrates, though they are also tolerant of a wide range of water conditions, including ponds and ditches, making them a hardy addition to the home aquarium. Opportunistic carnivores, the Assassin Snail feeds on both live prey and scavenged detritus. They stay partially hidden under the sediment, and if a snail its size or smaller slides past, they will give chase and devour it. Otherwise, Clea helena is a peaceful community tank resident. Fish are at no risk at all once mobile, and livebearer fry are ignored.

 

To address an existing population explosion of Malayan live-bearing snails or alike, consider stocking quite a few Assassin Snails, ideally 5 snails for every 15 gallons in your system.

 

Approximate Purchase Size: 1/4" to 1/2"

Clea helena is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine

 

This species occurs throughout southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, Thailand, and in Lake Toba on the Indonesian islandSumatra.

 

 

Feeding habits

 

Like all snails in the clade Neogastropoda, this species is carnivorous. It feeds on worms and gastropods, and is often known as the "assassin snail" for its habit of eating other snails. These snails will often feed on larger snails, often burying themselves and ambushing their prey.

 

Characteristics:

 

This snail will typically grow to 2-3 in (50-75 mm) in size depending on food sources, usually smaller in the aquarium[citation needed]. The shell, which is conical in shape, consists of dark brown and yellowish tan bands, leading to some people to refer to this snail as the bumble bee snail, a name also applied to the marine snail Engina mendicaria. The snails will spend much of their time buried in their substrate. They are least active during mid day, however they can sense food and will become active if fed.

 

Reproduction:

 

Clea helena consists of defined male and female individuals which are not hermaphroditic. Currently it is not known how to identify which is male and which is female. Both males and females seem to be the same size and shape. When a male and female mate, they lock together for many hours. The female lays several clear egg capsules which are square in shape and approximately 1.0 to 1.5mm in width and height. Each egg capsule contains a single small yellow egg. The egg capsules are generally laid on solid surfaces such as plastic and often on the base of plants. Fertile eggs usually hatch within a few weeks. 

Horned Nerite Snail  :

 

Clithon corona

 

the article below courtesy to : planet invert . com 

 

The Horned Nerite Snail is named after the horn like appendages that protrude outward from the shell. It is a black and yellow striped coloration combining in a swirl patter. The shell of the Horned Nerite Snail is very sturdy and the "horns" are a definitely defense mechanism as they can even poke or prick a human during handling. It is an extremely docile creature and does not bother any other inhabitants.

 

Breeding:

 

One downside to the Horned Nerite Snail, and this applies to most other nerite species, is its inability to breed in pure freshwater. The Horned Nerite Snail requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. Some hobbyists have been somewhat successful in breeding nerite snails but it does not seem that the young snails survive for too long. Some may look at this as a plus, meaning that the Horned Nerite Snail will not over populate a tank and become a pest in the aquarium.

 

Appearance: 

 

The Horned Nerite Snail is the smallest of the variety of Nerite's that I have kept. It's average size is approximately 1/4" in diameter but some older specimens can reach up to 1/2" in diameter. It's small size does not take away from the beauty of this snail however. The Horned Nerite has a beautiful black and yellow swirl coloration. As the snail grows the color patter continues with the stripes of black and yellow becoming wider. The coloration and swirl appears in even the smallest specimens. There are other color varieties of the Horned Nerite Snail, some with interesting patterns and different swirl coloration.

 

 

Horns : 

 

The horns, or spikes, of the Horned Nerite Snail appear at random and do not follow a certain positioning pattern when compared to other specimens of the Horned Nerite. What determines the size and positioning of the horns is unknown. It is also unknown as to whether or not the horns continue to grow longer as the snail ages. The horns typically appear at the beginning and/or back of the shell. Even though the area where the horns appear is from older growth, the horns may still extend. Care should be given as to not grab the Horned Nerite Snail too hard or else the spikes have the potential to break skin.

 

Feeding : 

 

Even though the Horned Nerite Snail is small its algae eating abilities are extraordinary. This snail will clean your tank glass spotless and also clean algae off of rocks and even leaves. Its small size is a great benefit for those who wish to clean algae off of leaves. The Horned Nerite Snail is very lightweight and will not fall off of leaves like other algae eating snails may. It is also recommended to feed the Horned Nerite Snail algae wafers or similar type food to supplement its captive diet as it can quickly clean a tank of all its algae.

 

Behavior : 

 

The Horned Nerite Snail can tend to escape from a tank and make its way outside of the tank. It is considered a tidal snail and can live outside of water. Simply pick them up and put them back inside of the tank. The Horned Nerite Snail will survive as long as they have not been out of the tank for too long. It is recommend to keep an eye on them and look around the tank occasionally for possible escapes. It is thought that when the snail is uncomfortable it will escape, but will not when happy.

Clithon : 

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Clithon is a genus of freshwater snails[2] or brackish snails that have an operculum, aquatic gastropod molluscs in the family Neritidae, the nerites.

 

Distribution:

Distribution of the genus Clithon includes the Comoro Islands (3 species),Madagascar (3 or more species) and the Mascarene Islands.

 

Description : 

 

Some species, such as Clithon longispina have spines on its shell. 

 

Species:

Species in the genus Clithon include:

 

-Clithon corona (Linnaeus, 1758) - synonyms: Clithon brevispina, Clithon angulosus, Clithon angulosa Recluz, 1842

-Clithon chlorostoma (Broderip, 1832)

-Clithon cuvieriana

-Clithon diadema

-Clithon faba Sowerby, 1836 - synonym: Clithon sowerbianus Récluz, 1842

-Clithon longispina (Récluz, 1841)[2]

-Clithon michaudi

-Clithon oualaniensis (Lesson, 1831)

-Clithon retropictus (von Martens, 1879)

-Clithon spinosus - synonym: Clithon spinosa

 

Ecology:

 

It live in rapid streams

 

 

Freshwater Snails from Sulawesi Indonesia :

 

Collected by Mimbon Aquarium

Photos courtesy of Chris Lukhaup

 

Beautiful freshwater snails collected by Mimbon Aquarium on their trip to Sulawesi Indonesia. Click here for expedition photos from Sulawesi. Also, click here to check out some of the neat shrimp they collected as well. Special thanks to Chris Lukhaup at Crusta10.de for letting us use these photos. Once again, awesome photos Chris!

 

Courtesy to : Planet invert . com 

 

 

 

Tylomelania zeamais

Sulawesi Indonesia map

Tylomelania spec

Tylomelania towutica

Tylomelania gemmifera X zeamais

Tylomelania towutica

Tylomelania cf. gemmifera

Tylomelania patrichalis

Tylomelania gemmifera

 

Tylomelania gemmifera

 

Tylomelania zeamais

Tracked Nerite Snail : 

 

Neritina natalensis sp. "Tracked"

 

The Tracked Nerite Snail, also known as the Ruby Nerite Snail, is not as well known as other nerite snails such as the Zebra Nerite Snail and Olive Nerite Snail. Its coloration is a nice red-orange and is one of the larger nerite snail with a size ranging from 1/2" to a full inch in size. I compare this snail to the Zebra Nerite Snail for size and shape.

 

 

 

Breeding :

 

One downside to the Tracked Nerite Snail, and this applies to most other nerite snails, is its inability to breed in pure freshwater. The Tracked Nerite Snail requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. Some hobbyists have been somewhat successful in breeding nerite snails but it does not seem that the young snails survive for too long. Some may look at this as a plus, meaning that the Tracked Nerite will not over populate a tank and become another pest in the aquarium.

 

Appearance:

 

The Tracked Nerite Snail is a red-orange color, slightly more on the orange side. It has small black stripes, or dashes, that reticulate along with the growth of the snails shell. The small dashes look similar to tire tracks, hence the name Tracked Nerite Snail. As the snail grows and the shell becomes wider so do the dashes. The black dashes offset the red-orange coloration nicely.

 

Feeding:

 

Another plus for the Tracked Nerite Snail is its algae eating abilities. This snail will clean your tank glass spotless and also clean algae off of rocks and even leaves. It is recommended that you supplement their diet with algae wafers or similar type food since the Tracked Nerite Snail may not be able to sustain itself solely on algae in the tank. This species is also larger than other nerite snails and will not be able to successfully eat algae off of small leaves due to its weight.

 

Behavior:

 

The Tracked Nerite Snail can tend to escape from a tank and make its way outside of the tank. It is considered a tidal snail and can live outside of water. Simply pick them up and put them back inside of the tank, they will survive as long as they have not been out of the tank for too long. It is recommend to keep an eye on them and look around the tank occasionally for possible escapes. It is thought that when the snail is uncomfortable it will escape, but will not when happy. The Tracked Nerite Snail is also an extremely docile creature and does not bother any other aquarium inhabitants.

Zebra Nerite Snail:

 

Neritina natalensis sp. "Zebra"

 

The Zebra Nerite Snail is one of the most, if not the most, popular nerite snail in the hobby. Its coloration is a beautiful golden shell with black jagged-edged stripes running down. It is one of the larger nerite snail with a size ranging from 1/2" to a full inch in size. I have seen some rather large ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breeding:

 

One downside to the Zebra Nerite Snail, and this applies to most other nerite snails, is its inability to breed in pure freshwater. The Zebra Nerite Snail requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. Some hobbyists have been somewhat successful in breeding nerite snails but it does not seem that the young snails survive for too long. Some may look at this as a plus, meaning that the Zebra Nerite will not over populate a tank and become another pest in the aquarium.

 

Appearance:

 

The Zebra Nerite Snail is typically black and gold, or sometimes a gold-lime coloration. The coloration pattern is not a swirl but rather the color extends in lines from the very back tip of the snail. The Zebra Nerite Snail is one of the most popular, if not the most, due to this beautiful coloration and pattern.

 

Feeding:

 

Another plus for the Zebra Nerite Snail is its algae eating abilities. This snail will clean your tank glass spotless and also clean algae off of rocks and even leaves. Many hobbyists purchase the Zebra Nerite Snail more because of its algae eating abilities than its visual looks. It is recommended that you supplement their diet with algae wafers or similar type food since the Tracked Nerite Snail may not be able to sustain itself solely on algae in the tank. This species is also larger than other nerite snails and will not be able to successfully eat algae off of small leaves due to its weight.

 

Behavior:

 

The Zebra Nerite Snail can tend to escape from a tank and make its way outside of the tank. It is considered a tidal snail and can live outside of water. Simply pick them up and put them back inside of the tank, they will survive as long as they have not been out of the tank for too long. It is recommend to keep an eye on them and look around the tank occasionally for possible escapes. It is thought that when the snail is uncomfortable it will escape, but will not when happy. It is also an extremely docile creature and does not bother any other aquarium inhabitants.

Freshwater Clam (Corbicual sp.)  :

 

QUICK STATS:

 

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons

Care Level: Easy

Water Conditions: 65-85° F, KH 8-10, pH 6.5-8.0

Max. Size: 2"

Color Form: Black, Tan

Diet: Omnivore

Origin: Florida

Family: Corbiculidae

 

 

The Freshwater Clam is a living filter that helps keep aquarium water clear and clean. By removing uneaten food and detritus from the water column, the Freshwater Clam helps maintain water quality and lower nitrate levels. Like many freshwater bivalves, Corbicual sp. typically buries itself in the substrate. However, spotting its siphon protrude from the substrate is truly captivating to observe. This variety of the Corbiculidae family only reaches a length of about 2", which makes it a suitable addition to well-established aquariums of almost any size.

 

Though found in temperate freshwater rivers and lakes around the world, this species originates in Asia and has a brown shell, banded in black. For best care, house the Freshwater Clam in an aquarium of at least 10 gallons with medium to very fine substrate. The Freshwater Clam should not be housed with invertebrate-eating fish, such as freshwater puffers.

 

The Freshwater Clam obtains its nutrition from filtering food and detritus from the water column. If necessary, its diet can be supplemented with a quality invertebrate food. Keep in mind that the Freshwater Clam will not tolerate any copper-based medication. If treating the aquarium with medication containing copper, move the Freshwater Clam to another aquarium. Do not return the Freshwater Clam until the copper in the treated aquarium has been removed by means of chemical filtration.

 

 

 

Fresh Water Clam (12x Speed)

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