Aquarienschnecken.de

Pomacea haustrum (Reeve, 1856)

Description:

The round dextrous shell is about 8 to 12 cm in size. It has an operculum. The sutures are deep, and the angles between the whorls are smaller than 90 degrees.
It is impossible for the layman to differ between Pomacea haustrum and a Pomacea of the canaliculata complex.
The operculum has a nucleus close to the shell with concentric growth rings.
The shell has a brown basic color with dark brown bands.
The body is brownish grey, the head section is a little lighter.
They breath with lungs and have a siphon.

Range/Habitat:

They can be found from the Amazon basin to Peru in lentic and slow-flowing water with dense vegetation.

Water parameters:

Unfortunately, the editor does not have any exact data on this.

Reproduction:

Like most front-gilled snails Pomacea haustrum are dioecious. After successful insemination the female attaches a green-colored clutch outside the water.
Depending on the female's size and the environment this clutch can be 4 to 8 cm long.
The average clutch develops in high humidity and at warm temperatures within about 7 to 14 days, after this time 100 to 200 young snails hatch.

Life span:
Again depending on environmental factors like food, water quality and temperatures. Pomacea haustrum can live to be about 2 to 4 years old in the conditions of its habitat.
Food:
They eat any kind of aquatic plants with the exception of Java moss, waterwort and pistia. In addition they accept vegetables, dandelion leaves, yarrow, fall leaves, mosquito larvae, crab and mussel meat, dry food of every composition as well as carrion.

Behaviour: 

They move in the entire aquarium and are underway day and night.
It's important for the aquarist to know about its predilection: P. haustrum loves to take apart intact aquatic plants without any problems at all thanks to its hard rasping teeth.
 

Socialization: 

P. haustrum is a peaceful snail and can be socialized with various snails and dwarf shrimp . It does better in normal community tanks than Pomacea bridgesii, whereas it also reacts sensitively towards tentacle-nipping and massive tampering with its important exposed organs by other tank inhabitants.

Additional information: 

This snail originates from slow-flowing or lentic waters rich in vegetation. This should be taken into consideration when setting up the tank.
The aquarium should not be smaller than 80 cm in length.
These snails should not be kept alone, a minimum yet apt stock for the tank length mentioned would be 3 females or 1 male and 2 females. In the long run, they should be kept at 22 to 26 °C, with adequate seasonal temperature changes.

Thanks to Kara and Elke for the pictures ;o)

Weblinks:

Uni-Ulm [Systematics, species listings

 Applesnails.net [ ultimative apple snail information site ]

This page was actualized on April 18, 2009

Autor: Alexandra Behrendt

Translator: Ulrike Bauer