Calling mystery snail experts!

[Epiphanaea]

Somebody tell me if I’ve got a boy or a girl.  🙂

 

[CJs Aquatics]

Hard to tell from the pics but it looks female to me, 2 holes underneath the shell behind the body is what it appears to have if I’m looking correctly. 

[Alex S.]

Male mystery snails have a white appendage that comes out of their shell on the left side of their “head”. I don’t think I see one in this photo, but it’s a bit hard to tell. You’ll know it when you see it, and if you do you know it’s for sure a male. If you don’t see it, sometimes the males will keep them retracted in their shell, but if you watch it for a while and still never see that appendage, I think it’s safe to say it’s probably a female. I was able to see it pretty regularly on mine when I had a mystery snail. I’m by no means an expert, but hope that helps 😁

[Epiphanaea]

On 8/9/2023 at 11:13 PM, Alex S. said:

Male mystery snails have a white appendage that comes out of their shell on the left side of their “head”. I don’t think I see one in this photo, but it’s a bit hard to tell. You’ll know it when you see it, and if you do you know it’s for sure a male. If you don’t see it, sometimes the males will keep them retracted in their shell, but if you watch it for a while and still never see that appendage, I think it’s safe to say it’s probably a female. I was able to see it pretty regularly on mine when I had a mystery snail. I’m by no means an expert, but hope that helps 😁

This isn’t what you’d see in a male?

[Alex S.]

On 8/10/2023 at 3:09 PM, Epiphanaea said:

This isn’t what you’d see in a male?

That might be it, but I'm not 100% sure what it looks like under the shell. It's typically on the other side as well. This is just an image I pulled from google, but this is what I've most commonly seen on male mystery snails.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Alex S.

[Epiphanaea]

From what I’ve read that’s breathing apparatus, not reproductive?

[Alex S.]

Interesting! You may be right. I tried to read up on them a little more to make sure I was telling you right, and I never could find an article that was clear. I did find this video though where I think I originally heard that was its reproductive organ. Cory references sexing them at 1:40. This seems to be a good care video all around. I will say, this is making me want to keep mystery snails again!

 

[Lennie]

On 8/10/2023 at 11:05 PM, Alex S. said:

Interesting! You may be right. I tried to read up on them a little more to make sure I was telling you right, and I never could find an article that was clear. I did find this video though where I think I originally heard that was its reproductive organ. Cory references sexing them at 1:40. This seems to be a good care video all around. I will say, this is making me want to keep mystery snails again!

 

That sexing part is not correct at 1:40. That is siphon not penis

 

Left side- siphon

Right side- penis.

 

 

 

 

[Alex S.]

On 8/10/2023 at 4:14 PM, Lennie said:

That sexing part is not correct at 1:40. That is siphon not penis

 

Left side- siphon

Right side- penis.

 

 

 

 

Good to know! @Epiphanaea I apologize for the misinformation. I see now that Cory corrected himself in the comments of that video, so I should have paid closer attention to that.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Alex S.