Snail

[Cody75791]

Hello All!

I have a snail that has some branch looking objects on its shell and I was wondering what it was? Kinda my favorite snail in the tank at the moment!

 

[cmcoker]

Kinda looks like colonial hydroids maybe?
Picture from wetwebmedia. They are not desirable if that's what it is..

Are they stiff or flexible?

 

[Cody75791]

They stiff to the touch

 

[Cody75791]

Here is a little closer picture of them.

 

[cmcoker]

I'm still leaning to colonial hydroids, maybe someone else will chime in with their 0.02

 

[Ranjib]

I'm still leaning to colonial hydroids, maybe someone else will chime in with their 0.02

Hydroids can be hard? like tiny tube worm bodies? Just curious..

 

[cmcoker]

Hydroids can be hard? like tiny tube worm bodies? Just curious..

Yeah some can. From wiki:Some species have the polyps budding directly off the stolon which roots the colony. The polyps are connected by epidermis which surrounds a gastrovascular cavity. The epidermis secretes a chitinous skeleton which supports the stem and in some hydroids, the skeleton extends into a cup shape surrounding the polyp.