I have had a few specimens of Vitta usnea (courtesy of Harry Lee - thanks!)
in a freshwater fish tank for a number of years now. It is actually just
slightly brackish with about a tablespoon of salt per 2 gallons. I started
with about a dozen and there are now only three - all quite large. They
faithfully laid egg cases, but of course, without a true salt water
environment the young veligers cannot survive and develop. This species is
sold by a couple of different online aquarium supply houses as an algae
control measure for freshwater tanks. They also sell Nerita funiculata and
Vitta luteofasciata for similar control in salt water tanks. The only other
nerite I have seen with attached barnacles was Vitta glabrata from Africa,
also a freshwater dweller with a need for salt water in its development. I
also have a couple of Clypeolum latissimum in a fish tank. They started out
as juveniles of about 10-12mm but have grown in a year to almost twice that
size.
Tom Eichhorst
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Conchologists of America List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Andy Rindsberg
> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 8:10 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Freshwater barnacle
>
>
> Henk, Peter, Peggy, Avril,
>
> Neritina (Vitta) usnea is abundant in Mobile Bay (Alabama) and
> can tolerate
> low salinity. On natural marshy shorelines, which are becoming
> increasingly
> limited, the dead shells form windrows; the shells have a
> delightfully broad
> variation of color pattern but the pattern shown in Avril's photo is the
> most common. As to barnacles, I have seen some growing at the head of the
> bay in water reported to have only about 3 parts per thousand salinity
> (about 1/10 that of seawater).
>
> A few estuarine species can live in freshwater without difficulty
> as adults
> but cannot maintain populations there because their reproduction
> requires at
> least brackish salinity. In the same area, these include the bay
> clam Rangia
> cuneata, and I would guess probably also the Carolina marsh clam,
> Polymesoda
> caroliniana. None of these are known to live in ordinary seawater. The
> common oyster Crassostrea virginica has just the opposite preference: It
> normally thrives in brackish water, but when predators are
> excluded, it does
> even better in fully marine salinity.
>
> Andrew K. Rindsberg
> Geological Survey of Alabama
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Conchologists of America List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of mienis
> Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 10:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Freshwater barnacle
>
>
> Seems to me Vitta usnea (Roeding, 1798), better known as Vitta reclivata
> (Say), might occur in estuaries. Henk K. Mienis
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Avril" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 4:22 AM
> Subject: Freshwater barnacle
>
>
> > Hello Conchlers,
> >
> > I have a gentleman looking for help on identifying a freshwater snail
> > with barnacles living on it's shell. The snail was purchased in a New
> > York pet store and no one can identify the snail nor the barnacles.
> >
> > The Mystery Page is located at:
> > http://www.manandmollusc.net/Mystery_shell_pages/peter-mystery.html
> > Peter can be reached at: mailto:[log in to unmask]
> > All list replies will be forwarded on to Peter as well as placed on to
> > the page.
> >
> > Thank you in advance for any and all help.
> >
> > All the very best,
> > Avril Bourquin
> > PO Box 366
> > Invermere, BC
> > Canada, V0A 1K0
> >
> > Phone/Fax: (250) 342-7224
> > Cell Phone: (250) 341-5189
> > Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > URL: http://www.manandmolllusc.net
> >
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