Snail survive out of shell?

[mightymany]

This morning I went into the kitchen and when I flipped on the lights I saw a snail on the back of the tank, with no shell. I believe it's one of my Margarita snails, as I can only see 4 of the 5. It scurried (as fast as snails do) behind the rocks where I couldn't see it. Looks fairly flat, about the size of an index finger nail. It had the antennas in the front.

Can these things survive outside their shell? I did move some rock around Sunday when I did my water change and tried to be careful not to stack/pin any snails in. Maybe I wedged it and it couldn't move with the shell. Or maybe the hermits evicted it. I do have lots of shells laying around for them but they have been known to fight among themselves, I assume for shells.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Most likely a Stomatella Varia. They have what looks like a fingernail for a shell.

 

[disc1]

Probably a stomatella snail. Very good little hitchhiker to have in your tank. Look them up online and see if that's it.

 

[mightymany]

I thought about that because I have all those little, tiny white snails on the glass and rocks at night. However, there was no shell on this one and it's about 60 times bigger than the little ones. This was just the body gliding across the glass. The body was about the size of my finger nail.

 

[disc1]

I thought about that because I have all those little, tiny white snails on the glass and rocks at night. However, there was no shell on this one and it's about 60 times bigger than the little ones. This was just the body gliding across the glass. The body was about the size of my finger nail.

You're still describing a stomatella. Google it. You'll be able to tell from the pictures. Or get a pic of it and post it here if you can find it again.

 

[Shorty Harris]

Maybe a drab colored nudibranch? I had one in my tank that Leslie had me send to her.

 

[Michigan Mike]

If it moves quick it could be a polyclad flatworm, they will eat your snails.

 

[Sk8r]

Stomatellas have longish thinish antennae and are proportioned more like a snail than like a worm.

 

[mightymany]

I think disc1 and Sk8r are correct. Looking at photos it appears that it is a stomatella. It may have had a shell on it. Hard to tell since i was looking at it straight on. All my other snails have now been accounted for, so it wasn't something I put in the tank!

Thanks everyone for the help.