The snails of the Malili Lakes on Sulawesi (formerly: Celebes) belonging to the family Pachychildae are great animals to keep for their own sake and not just as useful algae and debris eaters, like many other snails. All Tylomelania species of the region have in common that they occur in warm (around 30°C), soft and alkaline water. However, in aquaristic practice they have proven to be very adaptable.
Tylomelania towutensis grows to about 8 cm in length. The shell is black, has 6-9 distinctly sculpted whorls, and the soft body is black with bright yellowish spots, which has led to the popular name gold-spotted snail. They are separately sexed animals, not hermaphrodites, but the sexes cannot be distinguished externally. All Tylomelania species are viviparous and breathe through gills.
For our customers: the animals have code 488965 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
