snails get freaky

[opabinia]

Neritina natalensis is an amphidromous snail. Adults lay eggs in fresh water. The eggs and/or larvae are swept out to sea by river currents. The snails instinctively crawl back upstream after growing a bit in salt water.

I moved the thermometer over to shelter the eggs from hungry fishes after taking the photo. Maybe I'll get all crafty and transfer them to a marine nano-tank, because I don't have enough little projects as it is.*


* Wait. Somalia? Mozambique? This species doesn't belong in an Amazon tank. Now I have to set up another biotope.

Comments

[pat-man-ta.livejournal.com]

I might still have a couple 5.5's

you can just buy saltwater at petco and run an airstone and/or cheap HOB filter if all you're doing is snails.

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I think I have too many pending aquarium projects to implement Nerite Farm.

I have an idea for breeding them without much difficulty, though. A 5.5 FW setup with bright lighting and a substrate of bisected 2" PVC pipe fragments could house the adults. Algae grows on the PVC and keeps them fed. They lay eggs on the PVC. Egg-laden pieces are transferred to a marine sump or refugium, where the snails hatch and grow. (I've read that they require lots of algae to stay healthy.) Once they reach 5mm or so, they get tossed back into the FW with the adults.

I hear nerites are sexually dimorphic, and that they're impossible to sex. I only bought three, so I lucked out (unless "single" females of the species lay unfertilized eggs). If you want to try breeding them, I can give them to you. :)

[julishka.livejournal.com]

speaking of aquariums...let's go fishing!

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

Let's watch the weather on the week of the 23rd. Take a sunny weekday off, and we'll go!