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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
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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