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Tylomelania towutensis - ( Sarasin & Sarasin,1897)

Description:

The thick-walled shell of Tylomelania towutensis measures up to about 86.2 mm in length and 31.2 mm in width.

It has 4 to 10 whorls, the apex of older animals is corroded.

There is a pronounced suture. The shell shows a pronounced spiralling as well as an axial sculpturation.

The body whorl shows spiralling lines ending in the aperture.

The ovoid aperture shows the indication of a point, this form is also taken by the multispiral operculum. The last spiral is broadened and has a slight teardrop shape.

The body is nearly black with white or yellow spots; this colorations continues on the tentacles, taking the form of stripes.

The males do not look different from the females. 86% of all females taken from the wild carried offspring in their breeding sac. 1 to 8 young snails of sizes up to 16 mm were found per snail.

Range:

Sulawesi, Lake Towuti and Tominanga River

Habitat:

This snail originates from Lake Towuti and Tominanga River in southern Sulawesi.

It is a soft-substrate dweller, which can be found in the upper regions of the lake as well as a few meters down. The water of Lake Towuti is between 27 and 29 °C warm, with seasonal variations.

Reproduction:

please refer to the general description

Food:

In the aquarium it eats all the common powdered and pelleted foods offered, as well as vegetables and dead plant parts.

Behavior in the aquarium:

Tylomelania towutensis proves unproblematic in the aquarium, too, and quickly adapts to the new surroundings during the first fortnight.  It is not averse to light and seems less easily scared than the other snails from Sulawesi lakes. It prefers soft substrates, be it fine sand or loam, very seldomly it can be seen crawling over the flat pebbles. Mostly this happens when the snail is eating.

Due to its size it needs enough room free from plants and tank decorations.

When it has enough room to crawl around it is a true feast for the eyes, like all the freshwater snails from Sulawesi.

The aquarium:

The aquarium should not be smaller than 80 cm, I rather lean towards 100 cm front length. It is a rather active snail with a large shell, that's why the decoration should be chosen in way that allows it to still crawl around unhindered. It only needs sand or loam, leaves and wood, stones do not have to be brought into the tank. You should avoid long-stemmed plants as ground cover, as they hinder the snail's movement to a great extent. However, mosses or floating plants are adequate.

It does well in soft water, however, the pH value should not fall below 7.5.

This page was actualized on August 24, 2008

Author : Alexandra Behrendt

Translator: Ulrike Bauer

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