Freshwater Whelk?

[keenonfish]

Hi folks I just found this little fella in my tank...

Not sure where the heck he came from I haven't introduced anything to the tank for ages but maybe he is fully grown and has been roaming round for ages?
Either way it is a cool addition to my growing snail collection

Anyone know what sort of species it might be? Is it technically correct to call it a Whelk?

 

[raptorrex]

wow, i have not seem that before! i would suggest it is a River Limpet, as opposed to a Whelk, which seem to have a spiral form similar to a snail. whilst the critter in the picture has a pyramid form.

 

[Truck]

dont these things need greenwater? otherwise they will just die, i think i read that about them once

 

[raptorrex]

dont these things need greenwater? otherwise they will just die, i think i read that about them once

lol, it would seem not, from the OP's experience. though that does seem to be true for Clams.

 

[keenonfish]

Cool thanks I am quite chuffed with my tank ATM producing baby platy fry and Limpets with a UGF hehe I am going to be paranoid every time I clean the gravel now looking for this fella!
Out of interest, can all snails reproduce asexually?

 

[Mikaila31]

Out of interest, can all snails reproduce asexually?

Some can and some can't.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

I've got a ton of these guys in my tank, they lay tiny little eggs on the glass that are barely a millimeter wide.

 

[three-fingers]

Get loads of these in the stream down the road from me, when it's a bit warmer I think I'll try some in my invert tank, I always figured tropical aquariums would be too warm for them.
Nice find.

 

[keenonfish]

Nice find.

I've lost him now. I will be paranoid of vaccing in case the little critter gets buried

I've got a ton of these guys in my tank, they lay tiny little eggs on the glass that are barely a millimeter wide.

You mean a group of eggs a mm wide? Also how big do they get? according to my sources about 8mm and if this is a native species it should perhaps get a little bigger or just grow quicker due to water temp?

 

[TylerFerretLord]

It looks like single eggs to me, sometimes there are two next to each other.

My biggest ones are only maybe 1/4-1/3", which is about 8mm I suppose.

 

[keenonfish]

It looks like single eggs to me, sometimes there are two next to each other.

My biggest ones are only maybe 1/4-1/3", which is about 8mm I suppose.

Cool! - Glad to say I found him again browsing just above the water line so I might take the chance to clean the tank before he dissapers.

We called him Lenny