Nerite with live barnacles

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

If I adopt a nerite with living barnacles, what concerns should I have about that? I know the barnacles will die after a little while in fresh water but will nerite be ok otherwise? @Guppysnail

Edited August 7, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Guppysnail]

It should be fine. It may make it harder for it to dig under substrate. If you can pick the top pieces off (they are crazy hard so I doubt it without hurting the little guy.) once they die it’s more like armor. Some of Mine have rings where barnacles used to be so maybe over time they dissolve enough to come off? Or just dissolve completely. I’m not certain as flat rings minus the barnacle are they way mine were at purchase. 

[Biotope Biologist]

There is evidence that barnacles can live with minute salt concentration for extended periods of time. It’s especially interesting since scientists are finding that some larval barnacle specimens prefer attaching themselves to larval nerite snails, whom will carry the barnacles far up tributaries where salt presence is likely minimal or non existent. In these cases the barnacles likely fast and seal themselves off as they do in tidal flats.

 

Interesting stuff. If you can keep salt in your tanks maybe it’d be worth a shot to keep these little hitchikers alive.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Interesting. But if I add salt any nerite eggs will hatch! I’m not sure if I’m ready for another snail-raising escapade!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I ended up not getting a barnacle bill, not because of the barnacles but because of shell health. The ones I inspected, the middle of their whorl was paper thin.