A. helena...eating eggs?

pik01

AC Members
Sep 28, 2008
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San Jose, California
I have my assassin snails in with a healthy population of ramshorns and the ramshorns, being typical rams, have been laying clutches like there's no tomorrow (which is kind of true for them, now that I think about it). Anyway, I watched an assassin sniffing around a ram clutch and I can't be certain but it sure looked like it was eating the eggs. I saw its feeding tube poking around the clutch.

I have suspected that the assassins have been snacking on ram eggs because I've seen some clutches with portions missing. Might be that the missing portions were early hatchers, but the remaining eggs were nowhere near hatching. I tried to snap some photos but I doubt they're any good.

Has anyone else seen their assassins eat ramshorn eggs? I talked to arakkis and I believe his words were, "I wouldn't put it past them."

On the flip side, does anyone know if ramshorns eat ram eggs (or assassin eggs)?

I'll post pictures if any of them are post-worthy.

Edit: dunno if they're really post-worthy but this is the best I could do
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would it indicate that the rams I have in there are too big or does the ram eggs before rams behavior apply to any size of snail?
 
I have not seen assassins eat egg cluthes ...

Was the tube you saw the one that is always sticking out or was it a second tube? There feeding tube is a second tube that is extended only at feeding time usually pink in color.

As Arakkis said I will not say that it is not possible since they are scavengers by nature, and I could see them doing it if there was not a population of right sized snails to snack on. I have seen Ramshorns eat eggs sacks on occassion probably infertile ones but also not a common thing.
 
It was the feeding tube, not the breathing tube. I was over at arakkis' house picking up some more assassins and he pointed out the feeding tube (originally I did think their breathing tube was their feeding tube).
 
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