Help ID Parasitic Snail

[Brent F]

I noticed some smaller black bodied snails living on the back of a turbo snail. There might be another one on the inside (either that, or the bigger one bored through the shell of the turbo). What should I do about these?
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj252/Brent_F/IMG_0425.jpg

Detail – Snail in red circle is living on the back of the turbo. Snail in red circle is living on back of the one in the red circle
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj252/Brent_F/CopyofIMG_0425.jpg
Here’s a horrible picture of the black body of the snail
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj252/Brent_F/IMG_0417.jpg

[untamed]

Cool. My recommendation is that you might have to purchase additional snails from time to time. If, the hitchikers are actually deadly to the snail. They could just be harmless.

[justinl]

very cool hitchers! These are slipper snails, a kind of limpet. They are harmless filter feeders and just stay in one place on the rocks, shells, etc all their lives. If they just happen to pick a snail shell, then all the better since they get to hitch a ride.

A cool lil bit is that the small ones are male and eventually become females as they age. As they make new snails, they stack up with the big female on the bottom, hermaphrodites in the middle, and males on top.

[bassman]

I have identical critters on ALL my turbo snails too, some have over 5 on them. So far they seem totaly harmless.

[dsaundry]

Got lots too..totally harmless..imo...:biggrin: