Snail without a shell

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by MrFolgers, Jan 18, 2011.

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  1. MrFolgers

    MrFolgers Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Maryland
    One of my snails left his shell and is now on my glass eating the algae. Is this normal and can he live without his shell?
     
    MrFolgers, Jan 18, 2011
    MrFolgers, Jan 18, 2011
    #1

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  2. Clonefarmer

    Clonefarmer Millepora

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    Did you see it exit the shell? It could be a Stomatella.
     
    Clonefarmer, Jan 18, 2011
    Clonefarmer, Jan 18, 2011
    #2
  3. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

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    +1 to stomatella. The shell is part of the snail and they cant leave it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2011
    pgoodsell, Jan 18, 2011
    pgoodsell, Jan 18, 2011
    #3
  4. Zoban

    Zoban Skunk Shrimp

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    Zoban, Jan 18, 2011
    Zoban, Jan 18, 2011
    #4
  5. pagojoe

    pagojoe Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

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    It could be a Stomatella, which is probably most likely, or it could actually be a snail that has had the ligament detach in the spire of the shell, causing it to lose its shell. If so, this is a pathological condition, and while the snail may be healthy otherwise, it usually won't last long without its natural protection. If you had it in a tank by itself with absolutely nothing to bother it and plenty of algae to eat, it might live quite a while, but they usually don't live long. There are several cases that you can find on the net regarding snails losing their shells, attributed to various causes, but the most common is twisting the shell to remove it from a rock or the aquarium wall, or the snail twisting itself enough to cause it to detach from the shell. They can't crawl back in the shells and reattach once they're out of their shells.

    Cheers,



    Don
     
    pagojoe, Jan 18, 2011
    pagojoe, Jan 18, 2011
    #5
    1 person likes this.
  6. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    Interesting. I never knew that. You never cease to amaze me Don!!
     
    inwall75, Jan 18, 2011
    inwall75, Jan 18, 2011
    #6

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  7. pagojoe

    pagojoe Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

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    I'm a snail nerd. But I enjoyed keeping mainly different mollusc tanks for several years, and learned quite a bit keeping them and reading about them.
     
    pagojoe, Jan 18, 2011
    pagojoe, Jan 18, 2011
    #7
  8. SushiGirl

    SushiGirl Barracuda

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    I had that happen with a nassarius snail years ago. Got some great pics & no, it didn't last long after that!
     
    SushiGirl, Jan 18, 2011
    SushiGirl, Jan 18, 2011
    #8