Orange Disc on Snail

[Ryancalz]

Hey everyone, does anyone happen do know what this orange disc is that is on my snail? My snails don’t have it to begin with (not that I see anyways) and after they develop it they die shortly after. This orange disc of death has appeared on both my astrea and red banded snails. I have included a couple of pictures.

After the snail dies the orange disc will sometimes detach itself, however it doesn’t move around on its own.

Thank you for your insight.

 

[griss]

Parasite of some kind would be my guess but I’ve never seen anything like that before.

 

[griss]

Looking again, it looks like a sea slug of some kind.

 

[griss]

Help! A really creepy slug looking thing eating a snail!

There is something eating my snails! I seen this big flat slug looking thing covering a snail shell tonight while the lights were off. It is sorta translucent in color with what I think are blue or purple speckles on it. When I shined a red light onto it it slid back into a hole in my rock. I am ...

www.nano-reef.com

Hmmm…

 

[Ryancalz]

That is definitely weird

 

[Ryancalz]

I’m going to see if I can pull it off the snail

 

[Ryancalz]

Whatever it is it has worked its way in between the snail and the shell so I don’t know how I can possibly get to it anymore. I also don’t see any in the tank and they always stay with the snail when it dies (I throw it out with the snail whenever they die) so I don’t know where they are coming from

 

[Ryancalz]

Looking more into it appears to be the Operculum. Cover for their hole. However, I don’t remember it starting off bright orange like it gets when the snail dies. Maybe as a snail gets sick their trap door starts changing colors

 

[reefmusic]

It is indeed the operculum. I have not seen one change colour. Normally on side is attached to the snail's flesh. In that last picture it looks partially detached. Could something be trying to eat your snails?

 

[Ryancalz]

The only other livestock I have in the tank is a clownfish and a watchman goby. So I don’t believe anything is going after them

 

[kharmaguru]

The orange operculum is one thing but I think your first picture is something else and matches the flatworm from the link @griss provided.

 

[griss]

The orange operculum is one thing but I think your first picture is something else and matches the flatworm from the link @griss provided.

View attachment 32396871View attachment 32396872

Yep, that’s the pic I was focusing on.

 

[reefmusic]

Surely that's just the foot of the snail sticking to the glass?

 

[kharmaguru]

Surely that's just the foot of the snail sticking to the glass?

I was talking about this. Maybe I'm way off.

 

[griss]

I was talking about this. Maybe I'm way off.

View attachment 32396896

Yes, that’s what I focused on too.

 

[reefmusic]

That's the edge of the operculum on the top side of the foot that's clinging to the glass.

 

[Ryancalz]

Thanks everybody for the help. I think it is just the operculum. I just never noticed it being bright orange on my snails until they were about ready to die