Odd looking orange thing
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vetteguy53081
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Looks like snail laying eggsFound this on the glass near my sandbed today. Have no idea how to even start searching on Google for identification. Has anyone seen this before?
youcallmenny1
The Lobster
Looks like the disc off the bottom of a large snail like a turbo or giant trochus.
Soren
Valuable Member
+1 This looks like the outer shell layer from a turbo snail operculum. There may also be a white spiral shell disc that is the actual operculum. Look up images of "turbo snail operculum" to see what I mean.
Odd, I will search up the things mentioned. I have only a couple of adult size trochus snails and about 40 baby/juveniles trochus snails which spawned in the tank. I do have cerith and dwarf cerith snails and a bunch of baby/juvenile empty.
Looks like the operculum, curious to know how it separated from the snail. While I was observing it, the powerheads increased in power from 25% to 50% (morning schedule), the disc started to float away and it looks completely flat. Initially I thought it was attached to the glass.
I'm glad to know it's not a crazy pest. thank you.!
Soren
Valuable Member
I think it is just the outer layer of the operculum and is probably very thin if it is like the ones I found in my tank. Possibly this outer layer can be lost without the snail actually losing the more shell-like operculum and survive?
My tank definitely had some long-dead turbo snails from the previous owner, so I found both loose operculums and loose outer layers like you found.
Notice in this picture that some of the turbo snail operculums lost the outer layer, some have a partially-flaking-off outer layer, and one still has the outer layer fully intact:
@Soren Thanks for sharing the experience and knowledge.I think it is just the outer layer of the operculum and is probably very thin if it is like the ones I found in my tank. Possibly this outer layer can be lost without the snail actually losing the more shell-like operculum and survive?
My tank definitely had some long-dead turbo snails from the previous owner, so I found both loose operculums and loose outer layers like you found.
Notice in this picture that some of the turbo snail operculums lost the outer layer, some have a partially-flaking-off outer layer, and one still has the outer layer fully intact:
