Inside a Vermetid Snail

[redfishbluefish]

I have vermetid snails. I would prefer not to have them, but it is a cross I have to bear. Every once in a while I go on the war path and start snapping them off. I think the only thing this does is to satisfy me in some way. I think the little piece that is left behind is enough to keep them going. Just like aptasia. But this one was cool.

So this one guy is growing on the glass, and I go to snap him off, and he comes off in one whole piece.....the whole snail!




I flip him over and you can see that with each coil, he hit the glass and "accepted" that as part of his shell, and did not build a calcified shell.




Again, I thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share.

 

[Zippy69]

Very cool! Keep that on the bookshelf

 

[kschweer]

That's awesome!!

 

[EricBa]

Hey Paul,
Nice pictures. I've also have Vermetid snails and have had them for quite some time now (maybe 10 years). I too go through stages of snapping the shells when I get tired of the "snot" looking casts they send out to collect food. You have to snap the shell below where the worm is in order to eliminate that particular worm. When you start snapping, all of the worms near by must detect the vibration and then go deep into their shells for protection so you get one chance per worm per rock and then you have to wait until they come to the top of the shell again. It is however a losing battle. The reproduce much quicker then you can keep up with them.
I use to have a Copperband Butterfly that would follow my hand (with pliers) around the tank. As soon as I snapped one the Butterfly would immediately eat the worm from the pliers before I could let it go. It was a ritual usually about once a week. Sadly I lost the butterfly after about 5 years due to Sandy. I never understood why he didn't go after the worms on his own.
Happy snail hunting,
Eric

 

[JRWOHLER]

If you inject kalk into them they don't come back as fast. That is pretty cool pic, bet it will smell like all dead critters.

 

[Chrisgarrick]

Very cool!