Tonga Nassarius Laying eggs?

[sunce_22]

Just caught one of my tonga nassarius snails laying eggs on the side the of the glass! At least that's what it looks like!

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4317&stc=1&d=1240359683

[Key Equine]

I have a nassarius that lays eggs fairly regularly as well! Kind of cool... :)

[sunce_22]

First time I have ever seen it in action! I didnt even realize those were nassarius eggs, I thought they were maybe astrea. nice surprise

[NHRA]

Do any of them ever hatch and grow up?

[sunce_22]

not in my tank that I have noticed, but I have heard of people saying they have found 1 or 2 mini nassarius in their tanks which they think survived from eggs. Not sure though...

Anyone have any thoughts on whether these are capable of surviving in a tank?

[Dolf]

From what I reacall reading Tonga Nass. usually hatch as crawling snails. They usually either get eaten or starve (I don't know that they eat what adults eat right off the bat.) Having said that, when you look at what Dr. Ron says about snail larvae it makes me think that the Tonga Nass. may not be just one species and that perhaps some would have no chance as they would be born floating in the water column. (Yes, I realize that he is addressing a different type of snail altogether in this quote, but I can't honestly recall if all Tongas are the same or not- meaning how their young hatch..)“ What happens is somewhat unpredictable. One needs to have some experience with particular species to know what they will do. Sometimes developmental patterns are predictable from "near-relatives," but sometimes, particularly in species that come from large groups (such as the ceriths where there are over 100 species), different developmental modes are found.

Many of the species that are doing what yours are doing, hatch as small crawl-away juveniles. Others hatch as swimming/feeding larvae. One species I worked on (Oenopota levidensis) spent as long as 55 days in the egg capsule and then hatched to spend as long as an additional 108 days in the plankton feeding. So the total developmental time could be as long as 163 days
“

So, the long and the short of it is that it appears that, if nothing else, there is a chance that a few out of thousands might survive depending on what you have in your tank to eat them. Sorry it is not much help- but I doubt that anybody will be able to assure you that some of yours will survive or guarantee that they will all die.

[Rbacchiega]

I've got reproducing stomatella (is that how it's spelt?!)....those half shelled ones....anyways, they're breeding like mad...I think last night I counted 20 of them under 1/2 an inch

[sunce_22]

This may seem like a silly Q, but can anyone confirm that those are 100% Nassarius snail eggs? I read on another forum that they appear in capsules with about 6-12 eggs in each capsule.

Could this nassarius be eating another snails eggs? It stayed in that position for about three hours after I took that photo, only left when I put some mysis shrimp into the tank.

Thanks

[Dolf]

I doubt that anybody will be able to give you a 100% guarantee. What other snails do you have in the tank? They are reminiscent of Cerith snail eggs- but really hard to tell. I thought that Nas. eggs were more of a single pack; but then I recalled this picture of an Nas. laying eggs- http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/nasarriusegglaying.jpg so it would appear that I could be wrong. As eggs it is really hard to tell one snail from another... Being as you have a photo with the Nas in it I would put money on it being Nas eggs (not much $$, mind you...)

Good luck.

[sitandwatch]

I have seen about a dozen baby Nassarius in my tank and one that looks a little bit bigger then a baby, I have not seen any eggs though.

[sunce_22]

I think it definately is laying eggs, I only have one other snail - astrea, and I just caught another one doing the same thing on the front glass. Thanks alot!

[Key Equine]

I had seen my stomatella snails breeding about a month ago, both puffing cloudy mixtures into the water at the same time, I assume that they were breeding...
But now I am pretty sure I can see little babies with their little half shells out and about. I also have lots of little tiny white guys in there, not sure what type they are yet...
They are so cute when they're tiny!