Description:

The thick-walled shell is about 6 cm long and up to 1.8 cm high, shwoing finely structured striae on its surface. The multispiral operculum has a central nucleolus. The aperture has an ovoid shape. Most imported animals have a corroded apex.

It is always smooth and never has strong grooves. The whorls are flattish, the sutures are not deep or stepped. The color is yellow to dark brown to black.

Its body color varies from brown to black. The tentacles are thin and straight, the blue eyes are located at their bases. The mouth part is relatively long, soft and flexible.

Range/Habitat:

Obun State: Omi River in Ago-Iwoye,

 Water reservoirs in the south-west of Nigeria,

 Potadoma moerchi can be found in the west and south-west of Africa, mostly in riverine ecosystems (rivers/wetlands accompanying lakes), e.g. in Lake Pannon

Water parameters:

Unfortunately the editor does not have any data regarding the water parameters. However, some aquarists keep this snail successfully in soft water at pH values between 6 and 6.5.

Reproduction:

These snails are probably ovoviviparous, the young snails develop in the uterus, the egg integument serving as nutrition. Like almost all front-gilled snails Potadoma is dioecious. We have not heard of them breeding successfully in captivity.

Life span:
Unfortunately, the editor does not have any data regarding the life span of these snails.

Food:

Potadoma eats muck and algae as well as microbial growth, dry food tablets with high vegetable cotents, but also tablets for omnivores. You can see them crawling up the aquarium panes at dusk with the intention to eat duckweed.

Behavior:

After having adapted to the new water parameters and if there's sand on the ground this snail digs itself in and cannot be seen for days on end. From time to time you'll find a newly planted stem plant drifting on the water surface that gives you a clue of the snail's whereabouts. It can hardly be watched during the daytime as it leaves the ground at night or at dusk. When there is not enough food, however, it will also leave the ground during the day and climb large stones in order to search for food in the deepest nooks and crannies with its long mouth part.

Socialization in the aquarium:

As Potadoma lives in the ground 99% of its lifetime it can be socialized with snails, shrimp and fish without any problems.

Parasites:

Snails can be parasite carriers, this one is listed as carrier of the intestinal fluke Heterophyes heterophyes, the worst course of this disease is lethal. An infestation with these flukes leads to diarrhoea, and, when organs are afflicted, to organ failure.

Additional information:

This west-African snail should be kept at temperatures between 22 and 27 °C, with regard to the respective seasonal variations. In the original habitat the rainy season reaches its peak in August. The dry season is in November/December.

Even though Potadoma can only be seen every ten days at the most it is always impressive to see this large animal break out of the ground in order to ingest rests of food tablets, only to dig in its gigantic shell again after eating.

 Literature:

Distribution of freshwater snails in the man-made Oyan Reservoir, Ogun State, Nigeria
JournalHydrobiologia 

[ description of location ]

Roche Lexikon Medizin, 4.Auflage; © Urban & Fischer Verlag, Pilsbry-Bequaert, The Aquatic Mollusks of the Belgian Congo

 Weblinks:

University of Constance

[ English pdf file - Pachychilidae - Vivipas - ovoviviparous]

Late Miocene Gastropods of Lake Pannon

[ English pdf file – ontogenetic development, short description/description of location ]

Zootaxa

[ short report on the detection of Schistisoma in Patodoma, english. Complete article only for members ]

Systax

[ Systematics ]

This page has been actualized on August 24, 2008

Author: Alexandra Behrendt

Translator: Ulrike Bauer