![]() ![]() austinensis does love snails - but it will eat other things too. “If you are indiscriminately killing snails, but you’re not eradicating snails, you’re setting up the possibility that you are weakening competition for food.” And if the leeches leave low populations of big, well-fed snails at large, their infectiousness could mean that snail-borne disease ends up getting worse, not better, he says. “Having a hard time finding your prey item is indicative of a poor ability to drive it extinct,” he says. ![]() Once populations of snails decreased, he notes, the leeches had a hard time finding snails. But he thinks much more research is needed. It’s an interesting idea, says David Civitello, an ecologist at Emory University in Atlanta who was not involved in the study. The leech’s taste for snails suggests that it could be used to control snail populations - and, hopefully, snail-borne diseases. In this video, the leeches seek out and swarm a hapless snail. ![]() Helobdella austinensis can’t resist escargot. Using different ratios of leeches and snails, Shain and colleagues put together predator-prey computer simulations that suggested leeches could tank populations of snails within six months. If enough snails were present, one leech could consume 0.97 milligrams of snail per day - roughly the leech’s own weight. austinensis proved an indiscriminate devotee of escargot. The team tested the leeches in the lab with seven different freshwater snail species, and only H. modesta, which can be found in local lakes in New Jersey by turning over rocks. austinensis, a laboratory leech, and two other species, the lab leech H. ![]() “And snails are a big problem globally, in terms of health, and so we just connected a few dots.” The leeches aren’t very picky in terms of the types of snails they eat. “Everybody who works in the very small leech world globally, we all know that these particular types of leeches love snails,” says Daniel Shain, an evolutionary biologist at Rutgers University in Camden, N.J. thanks for reading!Īlso- what's the largest pest leech you guys have seen in your own tanks or posted on the subreddit here? i know barbronia weberi/asian leech is pretty big and pops up every now and then in tanks, but it doesn't have the cuter fat leechy shape like the others, looks more just like an earthworm.Leeches may be staple frights for horror movie characters, but the animals that should really live in terror of H. would anyone happen to know any more info on these guys? how often they eat and such- or if mts would be a suitable prey, since i know they're an unfavorable target for assassin snails (opposed to like, ramshorns) due to their defensive capabilities/fully closing operculum. i have a little 2.5 gallon tank that would be fun to try this out in, and a breeding population of mts in my betta's 20g that could serve as food. Hi all! i see small snail leeches posted here as a pretty common pest and i'm wondering if it would be possible to keep these on purpose. For more info, you can always visit the wiki!.What are common aquarium related abbreviations?.What kind of algae is this? How do I treat it?.Will my fish grow to the size of it's tank?.How do I start a new freshwater aquarium?.To add Flair to your username, click the edit link next to your username, located below the Subreddit Info. No art-or-craft-work that is not directly impacting or going to impact a real aquarium.No direct links to social media, emojis and/or hashtags, or posting private information.Do not post shitty tanks for the sake of shitting on them.No memes, shitposting, non-aquarium related animals (including humans) or other low effort content.Tag any dead or dying animals as NSFW, including live feeding.All for sale, give away, and looking to buy posts are not allowed and belong in r/AquaSwap.No spamming, advertising, or flooding the sub.Attacks, derailing, and trolling are not tolerated.If you are seeking help with your aquarium, please provide the information listed on the submit page. We're glad to help with fish compatibility, disease diagnosis, livestock/plant issues and other general tank problems. Post pictures or video of your tank, even if it's just to show off! We'd love to see it. Feel free to post here looking for advice on anything aquarium related, saltwater, freshwater, planted, or any other type of aquarium. ![]()
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