Help with ID

Sorry for the crappy pics. No other option right now. Caught them in Small Gunpowder Creek on the Hartford County/Baltimore County border (MD). Fast moving shallow creek. If you can not tell species can you tell if it is an air or water breather. It appears to be an air breather to me.
 snail1.jpeg   74.79KB   0 downloads
 snail2.jpeg   70.07KB   0 downloads

Was it found on bedrock or cobble, shell about 1/2" long with a distinct ridge running around it? I suspect a rocksnail or mudalia (Family Pleuroceridae; Genus Leptoxis). In your area that's probably crested rocksnail, L. carinata. They can be very abundant in rocky creeks.

Was it found on bedrock or cobble, shell about 1/2" long with a distinct ridge running around it? I suspect a rocksnail or mudalia (Family Pleuroceridae; Genus Leptoxis). In your area that's probably crested rocksnail, L. carinata. They can be very abundant in rocky creeks.

It was a very rocky creek. Thanks. I will research them and see if what I find on the net matches what's in my tank.

Wow not a lot online in regards to diet, lifespan, etc. Not endangered or threatened in Maryland. That is about all I can find. They are threatened in a lot of areas but not on Maryland's list. They were very very abundant. Looking at pics it looks like I have the black mudalia. Like I said I can not find a lot of info. Are these live bearing or egg laying? Also are the water or air breathers? Sorry for all the questions. Like I said, I can not find much info.

Edited by lozgod, 11 October 2009 - 09:46 PM.

Actually they do appear to be crested not black mudalia. Good call.

Seems like the perfect aquarium snail from what I found with one exception.

Only eats dying plant leaves as long as other food is available.
They reproduce once then die so no worries about overpopulation.

It appears they get their o2 from the water column.

Listed as endangered to extinct in a lot of states. That would be the one negative as far as it being the "perfect aquarium snail".

Where I collected them they were beyond abundant. They were everywhere. I went to the creek with the expectation of getting some rocks to aquascape and couldn't pick up a rock without 10-15 of them on it. Since I only had a couple of snails that the darters killed in my tank I grabbed about 15 of them. These may also be darter proof. I haven't seen them being bothered by the darters and in addition to that when they go in to their shells they have a door so their flesh isn't exposed.

Another pic:

Edited by lozgod, 12 October 2009 - 12:27 AM.

I hope they work out for you! I have to say I haven't had a whole lot of luck with pleurocerids, but I haven't tried Leptoxis, just the bigger Goniobasis and some Elimia. Gilled snails in general are sensitive to water conditions, and apparently my tanks aren't to their liking.

Lunged snails are much easier. I haven't found one yet that didn't thrive in aquaria. I just got some big Stagnicola that will end up in the siren tank after a month or so quarantine. I'm hoping they'll breed for me.