Neritina Turrita Zebra – Zebra Snail – Image 1 | © Fishtopia GmbH
Neritina Turrita Zebra – Zebra Snail – Image 2 | © Fishtopia GmbH
zebra snails, Neritina natalensis, belong to the operculum gill snails and have separate sexes. There are no visible gender differences.
Native relative is the river snail, Theodoxus fluviatilis.
However, the rotation of the case is difficult to see. The cover only really becomes visible when the snail has completely retracted.
Zebra snails are about 3.5 centimeters long. They eat algae, growths and deposits on panes, stones, plants and furnishings, uneaten food, detritus from the bottom, blue-green algae, dead fish, etc. are not eaten.
Up to 10 zebra snails can be kept for every 100 liters of aquarium content. With the exception of snail-eating fish such as loaches, they can be kept with all fish.
They can climb out of an uncovered aquarium. Zebra snails have been found within a 2 meter radius of the aquarium. It is sometimes assumed that such migrations are due to unsuitable water values, e.g. too high nitrate or nitrite values, unsuitable pH values, etc. It is also sometimes assumed that the animals like to be out of the water when they are attached to a new aquarium have to get used to.
Courser snail rides devil’s thorn snail Photo: Katharina Botzi
They cover roots and discs with small egg sacs. The cocoons are opaque white, somewhat misshapen, round to oval, and about 2 millimeters in size. Each cocoon contains several eggs. The development period can take several weeks. Apparently only one larva per cocoon survives.
No snails will develop from the cocoons or eggs in the aquarium because it probably requires salt water and a special diet.
In nature, the larvae are washed into the sea after breaking open the cocoons deposited on roots. There they presumably spend some time free-swimming before settling down.
Possibly, one can therefore try to put the contained eggs in salt water with a pipette shortly before the cocoon breaks open. However, there are no known clear signs that a cocoon breaks open. It is unclear which rearing food is suitable afterwards. Yeast sludge, microplan or green water do not seem to bring success.
In addition to Neritina natalensis, which comes from Africa, there are other snail species from Asia that are also called zebra snails.
The scientifically similarly named Neritina zebra is another snail and is native to South America.
Why are racing snails called racing snails?
It is not known where the name came from. Maybe it’s because of the stripes, which are reminiscent of a racing car pattern.
Asian racing snails
Racing snail Photo: Andrea Bernd
Different types of snails are commercially available from Asia under the name racing snails.
One of these species looks similar to apple snails.
The coloring is slightly darker and has fewer or no stripes.
These snails are strictly herbivores.
They even eat stemmed Java fern.
Water parameters for zebra snails
Can snails be kept together with loaches?
Opinions differ on the socialization of snails with loaches. According to some opinions, loaches only become a problem from a size of approx. 8 cm. According to other opinions, smaller loaches, eg checkerboard loaches, slowly crack through the shell and kill and thus eat the snails.
In principle, snails should not be kept together with crabs, crabs, loaches, etc.
Zebra Snail: