denise
07-06-2009, 08:16 PM
Freshwater snails are characterized by a single, spiral shell into which they can withdraw when threatened or frightened. The operculum is a hard plate that seals the opening after the snail draws its body inside. Freshwater snails are part of a group of animals called Mollusks, closely related to octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranches and land snails. There are more than 5,000 species worldwide.
Freshwater snails have two pairs of tentacles on their head, with light sensitive eyespots at the base of the longer set of tentacles. The smaller pair of tentacles is used for the sense of smell and touch. All freshwater snails have gills that they use to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide in the water. Freshwater snails move about slowly by creeping and dragging themselves along using a muscular “foot”. Snails feed using a toothy “tongue” called a radula.
There are many different types of freshwater snails found in Florida's springs, the most common one, found in most of Florida's springs, is the river snail, Goniobasis catenaria. This snail lives in the sunlit area of springs and river runs, enjoying the plentiful food supply that the clean clear water provides. The springs are also a good habitat for this and other freshwater snails, as they use the minerals from the surrounding limestone to form their shells.
Freshwater snails live a slow paced lifestyle on the bottom, scraping algae from from the surrounding rocks and relying on their dark colored shells to camouflage them from potential predators.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/tracksofmysterycritter_1.jpg
Freshwater snail, photo by Bill Huth
This particular freshwater snail was seen more than 500 feet back in the Ginnie Cave System:
Here he is again in closeup.
http://www.dayo.com/images/other/snailpic2.jpg
As these little guys rely on the sunlight, that allows algae to grow, which in turn they eat, its unlikely that they actually live in the cave system. He probably fell onto a diver on the way into the cave, and got dislodged somewhere along the way.
This particular guy was removed from the cave (after the photo was taken), and put back out in the basin, with a bunch of similar looking snails. He seemed unharmed after his adventure, and crept away to feed on a nearby log.
Here is another one photographed (and removed) several hundred feet back in the Jackson Blue cave system
http://www.dayo.com/images/other/snailpic1.jpg
All photos of freshwater snails (and removals) by Bill Huth!
Freshwater snails have two pairs of tentacles on their head, with light sensitive eyespots at the base of the longer set of tentacles. The smaller pair of tentacles is used for the sense of smell and touch. All freshwater snails have gills that they use to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide in the water. Freshwater snails move about slowly by creeping and dragging themselves along using a muscular “foot”. Snails feed using a toothy “tongue” called a radula.
There are many different types of freshwater snails found in Florida's springs, the most common one, found in most of Florida's springs, is the river snail, Goniobasis catenaria. This snail lives in the sunlit area of springs and river runs, enjoying the plentiful food supply that the clean clear water provides. The springs are also a good habitat for this and other freshwater snails, as they use the minerals from the surrounding limestone to form their shells.
Freshwater snails live a slow paced lifestyle on the bottom, scraping algae from from the surrounding rocks and relying on their dark colored shells to camouflage them from potential predators.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/tracksofmysterycritter_1.jpg
Freshwater snail, photo by Bill Huth
This particular freshwater snail was seen more than 500 feet back in the Ginnie Cave System:
Here he is again in closeup.
http://www.dayo.com/images/other/snailpic2.jpg
As these little guys rely on the sunlight, that allows algae to grow, which in turn they eat, its unlikely that they actually live in the cave system. He probably fell onto a diver on the way into the cave, and got dislodged somewhere along the way.
This particular guy was removed from the cave (after the photo was taken), and put back out in the basin, with a bunch of similar looking snails. He seemed unharmed after his adventure, and crept away to feed on a nearby log.
Here is another one photographed (and removed) several hundred feet back in the Jackson Blue cave system
http://www.dayo.com/images/other/snailpic1.jpg
All photos of freshwater snails (and removals) by Bill Huth!