Although in aquaristics the scientific names are usually chosen for communication and only very few species have a really common or international popular name, there seems to be an occasional need for such popular names. However, in the case of the snail Tylomelania marwotoae, which originates from a single lake on Sulawesi – Lake Mahalona, which is part of the famous Malili Lakes – a really stupid popular name was invented, namely Himalayan TDS. TDS stands for the German term Turmdeckelschnecke, which means translated towersnail with cover. This term is used for all thiarids.
You can get away with abbreviations like TDS, but the reference to the Himalayas is really very misleading. Between the island of Sulawesi, which belongs to Indonesia, and the high mountain range of the Himalayas, which separates the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia, there are not only around 5,000 km as the crow flies, but entire zoogeographical regions. The name probably alludes to the snow-white shell of this snail, which reminded someone of the snow-covered Himalayas.
So be it. Care and breeding of these beautiful animals are problem-free. In contrast to the dwarf shrimps of the Malili Lakes, which can react very sensitively to water chemistry conditions and excessively low temperatures (below 28°C), the Tylomelania species have so far proved to be tolerant and adaptable; normal tap water and temperatures between 24 and 26°C meet their requirements. Tylomelania marwotoae prefers sandy, muddy soils and feeds on detritus, i.e. decaying plant and animal remains. In the aquarium, they are fed accordingly with fine-dust dry food; food tablets that slowly disintegrate into small particles have proven to be effective. The snails are sexually separate, but the sexes cannot be distinguished externally. A group must therefore be purchased for breeding so that – from a purely statistical point of view – both sexes are represented. The young are born alive and fully developed. Newborn Tylomelania marwotoae have a black shell. The shell coloration typical of adult snails (3-5 cm long) only gradually appears as they grow up.
By the way: it is completely normal for the tip of the shell to be missing in adult animals. This is not due to damage, but the snails recycle the shell material that is no longer needed for further growth.
For our customers: the animals have code 488955 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
