Astrea Snail...

[cspurr]

Anybody ever witness an Astrea turnover?

I was messing with the tank tonight and witnessed one go from its back or side (since the star-like shell is pointed) back to grazing on the algae.

All I have ever heard is that Astrea snails cannot (right) themselves if falling off a ledge, live rock, glass, etc. Well tonight that rumor was put to the test and proven false. I was about to turn it over and I thought, no I will wait and see if he can "flip over" - I thought now if this happens in the wild, you mean to tell me they just starve and die...I thought no way, surely nature would develop an adaptive practice to continue the species. Well tonight nature took care of itself as it has for thousands of years...it turned over...I didn't have to touch it.

Anyone else ever experience this?

-Chris

 

[fuzz1974]

Never heard of it... I have found them in my tank with their disk out, just laying there . The only snail that can right themselves is the nassarrius snails.

Was it next to some rocks or something? If so, maybe it wasn't fully on it's back. Maybe on it's side close enough to the rocks or glass, where it could "reach" out and grab on.

Nature has proved us wrong before.....

Donnie