christinenha Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 Hey guys, Awhile back, someone posted a picture of one of these tiny ramshorns and asked what they were. There was a big debate as many people claimed they were just baby ramshorns (the typical ones that grow to be about half an inch long) or pond snails, but they are not the normal ramshorns (different shell position) and definitely are not pond snails. I have them in several of my tanks and chimed in that they are a ramshorn species as they have the typical spiral shape and foot of a ramshorn but they are not the normal freshwater ramshorns we see because they only grow to about 3-4mm max. I posted a picture of the two from my tanks for comparison (mini ramshorn on left and regular baby ramshorn on right). However, I am unable to find ANY scientific information about them online. There is a post about them on another forum with a guess to what genus they belonged to and a repost of that same forum post on another website but no conclusive information. Does anyone know what the scientific name for them is? I was able to find a saltwater species that is similar (Skeneopsis planorbis), but I doubt they are the same species. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbie Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) I think they're Planorbis arnoldi? Edit: So, I could find pretty much nothing backing up that actually being a species, so I guess the name just became a meme on various aquarist forums. However, I'm pretty sure it's something in the Gyraulus genus, possibly G. parvus? Edited September 12, 2015 by corbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svetilda Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 On the 1st picture it's a kind of Anusis (vortex?). It carries its shell not perpendicular (as most snails) but parallel to a surface it crawls on. Doesn't harm plants. I'm not sure about second picture. It looks like a different kind of snail to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chibikaie Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 http://www.fwgna.org/species/planorbidae/g_parvus.html The site only covers North American species, although I figure that is a good starting point. I'm guessing that this species is very likely the common ramshorn, due to its wide distribution. Notably, it covers Florida, and one of the big plant nurseries is located there. http://www.fwgna.org/species/planorbidae/g_deflectus.html This is the other Gyraulus species I saw on the site. Our ramshorns could be this or a mixture of both species. I found another planorbid before I gave up, B. obstructa, but that one has a very limited range. I consider it less likely on the basis of distribution, but I admit it bears a stronger resemblance to my own snails than the other two. As for the miniature ones ... I have no idea. I thought at first that they might be a dwarf mutation of a more common species, but if you're certain they are not ... perhaps someone else can dig up better links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimple minded Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 My tank has only the anusis-vortex ones with the flat shell orientation. Easy to crush with mr grabber tool and the shrimp love them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amyers22 Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 Did anyone ever figure out the scientific name of these? I have them in a tank and can't find much on the Internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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