View Full Version : Are Snails A-sexual?
psycosis_03
05-01-2006, 8:21 PM
I own a ramshead snail. And have had it for about 3 months. I cleaned a smaller tank today and transplanted some live plants from that tank. After moving the plants I noticed a small snail in the tank. It isnt a ramshorn snail is has a longer cone shaped shell. Where did this snail come from? Also I did find a smaller Ramshorn! Are snails A-sexual??? Thanks
dorkfish
05-01-2006, 8:34 PM
yes
VTwinFanatic
05-01-2006, 8:35 PM
Yes most snails are a-sexual. The small cone shaped snail is a malysian trumpet snail....and probably came with your plants. And I do believe that ramshorns are a-sexual as well.
Though not all snails are a-sexual...apple snails are not. There needs to be a male and female present to do the deed.
joephys
05-02-2006, 12:09 AM
Some snails also have both male and female reproductive organs. A few are even able to mate with them selves. I don't know what ones though, its something I have read.
Absolutely not! I have never heard of an asexual snail and doubt seriously if such a thing exists. Where on earth did that myth come from?
Common ramshorn and commpn pond snails are hermaphroditic - they have both male and female organs and can function as either sex, but it takes two to tango - one functional male and one functional female. They can also store fertilized eggs or sperm for future use, so a previously fertilized snail can produce viable eggs over an extended period, similar to livebearing fish. But these snails have both sexes, not no sex.
MTS are parthenogenic females, and can produce viable offspring without fertilizarion by a male. But they are anatomically female, not asexual.
Apple snails are either males or females, not both simutaneously, but also always one or the other, not asexual.
sumthin fishy
05-02-2006, 12:20 AM
RTR, I believe the myth was started by a simple confusion of terms, but Im not possitive on that
MTS are parthenogenic females, and can produce viable offspring without fertilizarion by a male. But they are anatomically female, not asexual.
Can you please elaborate on this? what is the difference between a female who can fertilize herself, and an organism with no sex, capable of reproduction with itself.
UncaBret
05-02-2006, 10:03 AM
A few are even able to mate with them selves.
What's the fun in that? :confused:
joephys
05-02-2006, 10:54 AM
What's the fun in that? :confused:
That could get very inappropriate very fast.
fballguy
05-02-2006, 4:46 PM
Can't pond snails reproduce alone?
TheMightyQueenPixie
05-02-2006, 10:14 PM
RTR, I believe the myth was started by a simple confusion of terms, but Im not possitive on that
Can you please elaborate on this? what is the difference between a female who can fertilize herself, and an organism with no sex, capable of reproduction with itself.
MTS are all female...Also they have live births... Quite interesting...
OrionGirl
05-02-2006, 10:24 PM
Females that reproduce parthogenically still have egg cells that germinate into offspring. Asexual reproduction is what amoebas use--no gender, no eggs, just a simple splitting of the structure and a division of the 'bits' inside.
Agree w/OG for those cases, but there are higher creatures who can reproduce asexually - consider the multiple anemones wkich reproduce sexually or by budding, or by division. Inverts are quite creative - pun fully intended, :)
SF- if sex cells are involved (eggs, gametes, whatever) it is sexual reproduction. If the creature has no sex, it is by definition asexual.