This attractive, about 6 cm long snail currently reached us from Thailand. It is a relative of the well known Malayian trumpet snail. In the wild this animal occurs in the lowest reaches of rivers on muddy bottoms and is thus very tolerant against salt. So it is possible to keep it in freshwater tanks as well as in brackish water aquaria. In contrast to the Malayan trumpet snail, which is a livebearing species, Faunus ater is an egglayer. The larvae can develop in marine environment only, so it is impossible that an unwanted proliferation occurs ian the tank. Males and females cannot be distinguished by external features. In nature, these snails feed probably on silt and mud. They do not work as algae-eaters, but need detritus and similar material for food.
Lexikon: Faunus: a Roman god, patron of farming and livestock; corresponding to the Greek Pan. It is not known, why this generic name was chosen. ater: Latin, means “black”.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
