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Snail on a string

downbeach

downbeach

Has anyone ever seen a snail on a string? Much like a spider. I have a number of small snails in my tank that I originally thought were baby turbo's, (about 1/4" to 3/8")but now believe them to be one of the Columbellids. On three separate occasions I have seen them hanging and then traveling up this "string", much like a spider would raise or lower itself using its web.

Any idea's?
 
Sandee

Sandee

That's a great resource! Tnx! I immediately identified a few guys in my tank. Good and bad ...


Sandee | Sent from my iPhone!
 
downbeach

downbeach

I'm fairly certain it's one of the Columbellids, or Dove snail. It's the behavior that I've never seen before, and I can't find any info on it.
 
AJ1080

AJ1080

Looks like a topic for discussion next weekend! Next time its stringing itself along see if you can get a video. Im curious to see that.
 
discordipinna

discordipinna

I have collumbellids (from IPSF) and they do that all the time! I was super surprised the first time I saw it! The snail fell off the rock and dangled from the string, just like a spider. I don't know anything about it, but it does happen, and I've seen a few posts on other forums about it, so it's not just us.
 
downbeach

downbeach

I was doing a water change yesterday, and had noticed two of them near the surface, that one on the glass and another on the wet side of a mag float I keep on the glass center brace of my tank. While doing the WC I noticed the one that was on the mag float was now on the surface of the water, which at this point was about 2" below the mag float, and I could see the strand above the water still attached to the float. Since I had positioned a camera near the tank I tried to free my hands from the siphon I was using to get the picture. Unfortunately, it was trying to reel itself in and once it broke the surface of the water, I think the extra weight of the snail no longer being buoyant, caused the stand to break and the snail to sink to the bottom. So, when I was finished with the WC, I snapped a picture of the other one for ID purposes.
 
downbeach

downbeach

Ron Shimek's response:

Hi,

I have seen the same behavior several times in nature and numerous times in my various aquaria. Anyway, the animal extends a thread of mucus and, on occasion, can drift away on it. Obviously, it depends upon a lot of factors (the animal has to be close to neutrally buoyant, the currents "just right," etc.) to work as a "mode of transportation" and I am not sure the animal ever really means to drift away, but... who knows.

Cheers, Ron
 
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