Aquascope

Facts

Mud snail

Eaten by crabs, fish and birds

Because the mud snail is found in such large quantities, they are an important source of food for i.e. crabs, fish and birds.

Only females amongst the young

Two mud snails

Mud snails reproduce mainly during the summer. One species, (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), is comprised of almost entirely of females. The females can still reproduce because of the fact that the young can develope from unfertilized eggs.
    The other two specie enclose their fertilized eggs in a jelly-like casing that they attach to rocks and shells. These shells can gladly be living relatives. These sticky egg casings usually get covered in sand. From the egg casings of one species (Hydrobia ulvae), the small larvae swim out and drift about with the water currents a few weeks. From the egg casings of the other species (Hydrobia ventrosa), small fully developed shells creep out of the casings.
    These mud snails became sexually mature after one or two years. Very few specimens survive more two winters, but it believed that some are capable of living up to five years.

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Eats diatoms

Eats under a raft

Many die during the winter

Eaten by crabs

Males are missing

Found from Norway to Senegal


Attacked by parasites


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© Aquascope 2000   Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, Strömstad, Sweden
Bo Johannesson | Martin Larsvik | Lars-Ove Loo | Helena Samuelsson