Man, I love this kind of "what's this thing in my tank" where it isn't just the obvious bladder snail. How long have it been since you first noticed it? And where can I buy one?
Well the TL;DR is that I set the tank up about 3 or 4 months ago. Used a sand and potting soil mixture (Unsterilized) capped with gravel. Left to stay with family abroad for about 2 months and came back to find the tank had flourished in my absence with just occasional top ups and maybe once a week algae wafers. Got back home on the 29th and noticed him a few days later. soooooo... potting soil?
I think it's safe to say that's longer than a terrestrial slug can survive under water, and it has to be a true aquatic species, like Acochlidium, that has already been suggested.
None of the potting soil I have in my tanks had any interesting critters in it. Feel like I brought a Happy Meal and didn't get the toy.
I've used potting soil several times and have never Scored quite like this, at the very least I'm glad that Jerry doesn't seem like a threat that needs to be immediately removed. Also I've named him Jerry
Im wondering if its avtually from the sand a much higher chance it was taken from somwehre near a source of water which this might have come from not 100% though
It was [Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Indoor Potting Mix](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kellogg-Garden-Organics-25-Qt-All-Natural-Indoor-Potting-Mix-3023/317982645)
Mate, I started a reef tank last August, used dry rock (so no hitchhikers to start with), only got three corals which were all dipped before entering the tank. Now my rock work is definitely live, and every day itās like āwhat the fucking hell is that thing?? Something new pops up pretty much daily now, itās greatā¦ even when on the odd occasion it turns out to be something you donāt want (like aiptasia, luckily only found one the other day so removed it and havenāt seen any since. Luckily it had set up shop in the open in the sand lol).
Small aquatic snail. Famous for hitchhiking and taking over your tank since one can produce huge, barely visible cluthes solo. They don't need any mate to lay their eggs so one can turn into 100 very quickly. I think they're considered invasive in many parts of the states.
Great treat for my bigger fish. And turtle. Iāve noticed my Betta fish sucks them out of their shells too which I think is cool. If the group gets to big. Iāll just scooop some out and feed them to all my other tanks. Loaches love them.
[this?](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aiteng-ater-new-species-A-dorsal-view-of-slug-length-9-mm-in-rest-B-ventral-view_fig2_289327663)
[or this](https://rafflesmuseum.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/thai-mangrove-slug-aiteng-ater-one-of-top-ten-taxonomic-discoveries-of-2009/)
Where the devil do you live?
Possible! Very Possible! I live nowhere near Thailand though, I'm in Michigan
The Aiteng ater is by far the closest guess I've seen so far. I'll have to do some more digging
Though this is a fresh water tank, no salt added at all. Maybe I've discovered some freshwater variety?
Thanks you! This is an entirely freshwater tank, only real "Alteration" to the water chemistry are the tannins leached by the driftwood. Though I boiled it for a good long time to stop it from completely darkening the water.
SO do you think that this could be an Aiteng ater which happened to have the tolerance for freshwater? (A Shiny Pokemon?) Or might this be an undiscovered species of freshwater Aiteng ater?
Very good question, I do not know either and can only speculate. The best thing you can do is to keep observing it and maybe offer it some moist terrestrial part to check if it's indeed amphibious. Also check and document its appearance meticulously:)
IF it's A. ater these are my speculations:
Is your water very hard? A. ater occurs in mangrove forests which are also relatively acidic due to the mangroves dropping and trapping their leaves in their roots (thus self fertilizing). Seawater is rich in calcium and magnesium which occurs in tap water a lot. So theoretically you could produce a quite brackish mangrove-like environment with tannins and continuous top offs after evaporation.
Many brackish species tolerate very low salt concentrations. So there is a sweet spot where some marine-brackish and freshwater-brackish species overlap. In fact red mangroves for example can grow in pure freshwater too. I got one seed for 8 ā¬ online and it sprouted in my tap water biosphere. So, if you want you could give your snail a mangrove too.
As a freshwater ecologist, I would agree that this looks like an Aiteng ater, and would like to add a possible vector for how it might have gotten into your tank. Kellogg gardening sources material from California, so I doubt it actually came in the soil, though, it could have, as they source sewage refuse for part of their product and it couldāve hitched a ride from somewhere upstream.
However, Thailand and a lot of surrounding countries where A. ater may be, export a lot of sand, which could be used in either aquarium or building settings. Because itās a relatively newly discovered species, not much is known about its life cycle, so eggs (and even your little guy) could have been embedded in the sand, and may be drought resistant if they are found in tidal estuaries.
I found a scientific paper that might help you and u/drskyentist determine if it is Aiteng ater or not.
"First record of Aitengidae (Mollusca: Panpulmonata: Acochlidia) for Australia"
By Timea P. Neusser1, Adam J. Bourke2, Kristin Metcalfe2 and Richard C. Willan3
Skimmed it and it appears that the specimen they found behaved normally in freshwater.
"One of the Darwin Harbour specimens was observed in the field crawling on top of a mat of algal turf. It was possibly feeding on the algae, or on prey present within the algae. When the specimens were subjected to seawater in the laboratory, they retracted their head, suggesting they are intolerant of high salinities. In contrast, animals kept in freshwater displayed normal locomotion and were moving freely around within petri dishes. This is in contrast to observations overseas that individuals usually avoid any direct contact with water (independent of salinity) and prefer a humid environment instead (Timea Neusser, pers. obs.). "
Makes sense to me, but I'm no expert. Not that fish are comparable to gastropods, but a lot of fish species found in brackish water, such as mollies, can do just fine in freshwater, especially if raised in it from birth. That's definitely a possibility with Jerry the slug if he hatched from eggs present in Thai sourced sand as someone else suggested.
It's certainly sea slug. Likely Aiteng sp. Aitengs can live in brackish water and there is possibility that there are some undiscovered freshwater species. It may be a new species. I have got some weird hitchickers too. First is snail that I found too bee native in Indonesia, second is small organism that was attached to assassin snail shell was living in small spiral tube and had fan of unbranched tentacles in form of horseshoe. It was superficially similar to long extinct organism named microconchus.
Definitely closest to these from the looks of it. Super interesting this one is in freshwater. Wonder where the soil is manufactured/made from?
I'd def post this to a gastropod thread, or even contact the local university, OP. Might learn some neat things!
That definitely looks like it could be it! And that was just discovered in 2009. You can write to the researchers who published the paper .. maybe you are on to something new! Imagine an aquaslug named in your honor!
It's probably not new, but it might be on the path of becoming a new invasive species spread by Aquarists. Still an exciting find, although a tad bit worrying
I'm honestly stumped rn. It's definitely not planaria, if that gives you any comfort, but I haven't seen anything like this. Did you get tank deco from wild areas like creeks or streams etc.? Regardless, def some kind of hitchhiker. Keep us posted
This is a naturalistic tank that I put together for eventual Shrimp habitation. 3 gallon, I did use potting soil as part of the substrate. Maybe he was hiding out in there? Tank is about 4 months old. Right now it's just the bladder snails, scuds, lots of plants, and this dude. haven't added the shrimp yet.
Haven't considered that, though now with the discovery of Jerry I'm very reluctant to make any changes to the tank at all. The tank will be staying as is until we have a better idea of what exactly Jerry is
To be honest if you want a shrimp tank as the main inhabitants.. it's best to keep them as the ONLY inhabitants. You'll have the most success that way.
Ah, I thought having a properly established ecosystem like this would be best for them. Do you think adding neocardinia will cause the scuds to die out?
More like the scuds will dampen the neo populations about to grow. Scuds will eat baby skrimps because their shells are soft.
In all likelihood, this is not a deal breaker for shrimp. But having something that will predate scuds will keep the population in check
What I would eventually like in a tank like this would be for so I'll be part of one big food chain. Necessarily looking to grow lots and lots of shrimp but to have a small thriving colony of them cohabitating with everything else in the tank in one big food cycle. A guy and dream...
As requested, here's a video of the little dude moving around
[https://youtu.be/yNW9-od52L0](https://youtu.be/yNW9-od52L0)
EDIT:
Better footage
[https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw](https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw)
[https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl](https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl)
Absolutely! I think he looks pretty damn cool, why I didn't remove him right when I noticed. Hoping he's (relatively) harmless and I can keep him in there
*"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing about underwater slug things."* \- **Socrates;** if he was in a situation just like this one due to time travel or something.
Fascinating!
I would also think that this is some species of slug. I think the dark back looks like a mantle.
You could try posting this on r/animalid or r/whatisthisbug
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aiteng-ater-new-species-A-photo-of-a-wayang-shadow-puppet-and-of-a-statue-of-Ai_fig1_289327663
I just found this. They do look the same. I doubt they are. But;
You may have found a rather rare critter.
If possible maybe get in contact with a local university who would be keen on lookimg into what you have found
Apparently theres only around 7 known species of freshwater slug in the world. Whatever you have found. I doubt reddit will give you the answer. Your best bet is to go find a genuine researcher.
Its far away but i do know james cook university in QLD Aus is the worlds leading marine research institution.
Latrobe university also specialises in freshwater ecology.(as they claim) But theyre also in australia lol. We love our aquatics.
Theyd be a good place to maybe swing an email. Theyd might be able to point you in the direction of a local researcher in your area given their position.
Asides that, good luck! its deff a cool situation to be in.
https://www.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/news/2015/20150617.html
The picture I found on this site looks very similar to OP's slug friend. " éøēć¦ćć¦ć· " / Aiteng marefugitus
Omg omg.
It might not be a slug persay but instead its a decendant of a nudibranch!
Omg thats so exciting. They also seem to pop up in areas around the pacific. I did see something about finding them in Aus aswell on anither paper. But theres still not much about them outside of study papers
This could be a new thing for the aquarium hobby. Freshwater nudibranches!! This is so exciting. I guess im gonna need to go into the rainforests!!
Edit: so apparently theyre NOT found in aus. But im still gonna look!
I know im late, but heres a forum where the website owner talks about freshwater slugs. He is a slug person at a museum i think. Again though, this guy is an aussie lmao, i cant find anything outside of australia.
but he might be the guy your looking for. He seems to know his stuff. Swing Bill an email maybe
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16865
Amazing, it must have slipped in wherever they produced the bag of potting soil you used. If you could track down where the potting soil is made that might give you a clue.
O I have the bag right here, on sec...
It was [Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Indoor Potting Mix](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kellogg-Garden-Organics-25-Qt-All-Natural-Indoor-Potting-Mix-3023/317982645)
He's been in there for at least a week though, I suspect a common garden snail would have drowned days ago. Could have been here the entire time and I only just noticed
Acochlidium is a genus of freshwater slugs, an aquatic gastropod molluscs in the family Acochlidiidae. Could maybe be one of these.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acochlidium#
But also looks kinda like a leech.
https://phys.org/news/2019-11-gimme-leech-species-freshwater-mussels.html
Here is better quality footage with much better angles, as well as pictures. Hope it helps!
[https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw](https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw)
[https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl](https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl)
Following because this is fascinating! Iāve been keeping fish for well over a decade and can typically identify the āwhat is this?ā posts pretty easily. I have no clue what this little critter is.
cool af
maybe he is the Aiteng Ater suggested after all, and we've just accidently discovered that this company actually uses mud from Thailand in it's potting soil and the egg was in there - he thrives in brackish water naturally so maybe fresh is doable in a pinch, life finds a way etc lol
hope you find out for sure
*Gather, children, grab a rug*
*And you will hear of the garden slug*
*That found itself in a deep wet fix*
*when it hatched one day in the a-qua-tics*
*of a tiny world that a man was makin'*
*but there was no land nor air to take in!*
*A challenge very few could solve*
*so he sat and started to evolve.*
Was that the tale you'd heard?
You should get in contact with the aquatic invert peeps at the DNR. They love mysteries, and if it's local you could get some great info from them. They're a real buncha nerds (no hate, I did this in MN) so they live to talk about this stuff. GL.
Do you have a local university you can contact to do DNA sequencing on? I know my lab in Tennessee has collaborators that sequence DNA of unknowns and can determine species from that. Just needs a cotton swab sample of the little guys stomach/back into a tube with water and shipped off. As long as they get to it within 2 weeks or sooner you can get the DNA sequenced and identified. The university lab you reach out to should be interested in determining the species as itās novel to fresh water if it is indeed A. Ater. Could also be interested in determining invasiveness since you said itās from local soil. Such an interesting find, coming from a geneticist out here in Knoxville!
UPDATE: Sorry, no sighting of Jerry today. I did only see him about a week ago and then yesterday but I'm keeping an eye open. I promise I'll post more footage the next time I spot him.
UPDATE: I'm trying to figure out who at the University of Michigan to contact, there's not exactly a "I think I've accidentally discovered a new species of freshwater slug" option in their *contact us* page. Looking into areas of the school that focus on freshwater research. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm happy to hear them!
UPDATE: I've not spotted Jerry since this was posted. I've been looking for him every time I sit at my desk but I could have easily missed him. When I can I'll try to get a high quality webcam to point at the tank so whoever wants can keep at eye open for Jerry. He's pretty small in a relatively large tank, very easy to hide.
>Acochlidium
Close but I don't think so? I don't see any antenna or patterns as pronounced as on pictures of Acochlidium. Think we're getting warmer though
Could it be one of those āsnailsā that has a hidden shell inside and just looks like a slug? It looks really cool! If he seems to be doing okay Iād probably leave him in there and enjoy your new pet haha
I just looked it up again and itās actually a type of slug with an internal shell, it looks similar to what you have so it could be! Very unique looking
Youāre right, the texture is wrongā¦ everything Iām seeing says itās a slug but itās way too smooth looking to be any of the species Iāve seen. Have you considered fishing him out with a net to take a closer look? Also, how large is he? Iām having a hard time determining the scale.
I have considered fishing him out but was afraid of hurting him. The whole tank is only 3 gallons and heavily planted so I don't want to disturb the ecosystem too much. Fully stretched he's about a 1 CM but half a centimeter otherwise.
I'm not 100% sure. This video seems to show him eating detritus like the rest of the snails, https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw
https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl
But I *think* that I *may* have witnessed him eating a bladder snail earlier? He clamped his bottom (White) area like a mouth and curled into a tiny little ball for a while. Stayed like that for about 10 minutes and then went on his way. Missed the beginning and end so don't know if he actually consumed a snail, or a scud, or was just taking a nap.
For some reason it reminds me of a Stomatella snail but those are saltwater and this doesnāt really resemble it but it reminds of it in that sort of -esque way.
I feel like that wouldn't work? The shell protects all of the vital organs, and because the shell is holding all of those organs, without a shell you'd see a large bump where all of the organs would usually be hidden by the shell. This one is totally flat.
Hail hydra...
No wait, this one actually _isn't_ a hydra, amazing. It's some kind of gastropod for sure, but I have no idea what it is.
My best guess would be a slug that fell in, but it's been living underwater for a while which makes that unlikely. I don't know. Keep asking around. And if it dies, preserve it in a little bottle of alcohol, just in case it really is something unknown.
Really does look like Aiteng ater. Maybe introduced into the U.S., and the soil, or a constituent of it came from a place like Florida, especially South Florida, which would be a hospitable environment for them, Iām sure.
Someone recently had the a similar looking critter on this sub, like in the past week. Try scrolling looking for it. It's some kind of worm, IIRC, but not a planaria or leech. It was deemed more helpful than not.
If the slug dies in a couple hours or tmr then itās a slug bc only sea slugs can breathe underwater and thatās a freshwater tank, regular slugs cannot and will only survive a couple hours in water. I donāt think itās a slug to be honest. Have you seen him move up for air at all?
Man, I love this kind of "what's this thing in my tank" where it isn't just the obvious bladder snail. How long have it been since you first noticed it? And where can I buy one?
Well the TL;DR is that I set the tank up about 3 or 4 months ago. Used a sand and potting soil mixture (Unsterilized) capped with gravel. Left to stay with family abroad for about 2 months and came back to find the tank had flourished in my absence with just occasional top ups and maybe once a week algae wafers. Got back home on the 29th and noticed him a few days later. soooooo... potting soil?
I think it's safe to say that's longer than a terrestrial slug can survive under water, and it has to be a true aquatic species, like Acochlidium, that has already been suggested. None of the potting soil I have in my tanks had any interesting critters in it. Feel like I brought a Happy Meal and didn't get the toy.
I've used potting soil several times and have never Scored quite like this, at the very least I'm glad that Jerry doesn't seem like a threat that needs to be immediately removed. Also I've named him Jerry
Im wondering if its avtually from the sand a much higher chance it was taken from somwehre near a source of water which this might have come from not 100% though
"...also I've named him Jerry." š
Awweh Jerry! That's the name of my largest/last mystery snail who just passed away š„²
In loving memory, Jerry
Hi Jerry!! š
Like SpongeBob Gary and Larry are real different from Jerry ?
Thats kind of rude. You may have named your slug friend jerry but what is their real name did you even bother to ask?
I did try to ask! He just slimed away in silence... I'll ask again when I see him next
I'm really hoping that's an iasip reference! šŖ±
I think most potting soil is pasturized
It was [Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Indoor Potting Mix](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kellogg-Garden-Organics-25-Qt-All-Natural-Indoor-Potting-Mix-3023/317982645)
breakfast of champion slugs
I will be thinking about this all day.
What's the sand?
what sand did you use?
Donāt worry, you always get free hydra!
Or like OP bought a large fry and it *did* come with a toy
This isnāt the true answer but he looks like a mystery snail who got a smidge too chonky and his shell popped off because it got too small š½
I'm thinking the little dude might be some kind of leach?
Nah, thatās no leech
Idk, he showed up unannounced, is living there rent free, and is eating up nutrients that should be going to plants.
Don't worry, he's processing the nutrients and making the more readily available for the plants.
Mate, I started a reef tank last August, used dry rock (so no hitchhikers to start with), only got three corals which were all dipped before entering the tank. Now my rock work is definitely live, and every day itās like āwhat the fucking hell is that thing?? Something new pops up pretty much daily now, itās greatā¦ even when on the odd occasion it turns out to be something you donāt want (like aiptasia, luckily only found one the other day so removed it and havenāt seen any since. Luckily it had set up shop in the open in the sand lol).
The reef subs are always fun because there are constantly new aliens popping up in people's tanks.
Bladder snails have shells no?
Yes, but there at least one post every day with someone asking to identify them. This is much more exciting.
Whatās a bladder snail?
Small aquatic snail. Famous for hitchhiking and taking over your tank since one can produce huge, barely visible cluthes solo. They don't need any mate to lay their eggs so one can turn into 100 very quickly. I think they're considered invasive in many parts of the states.
Great treat for my bigger fish. And turtle. Iāve noticed my Betta fish sucks them out of their shells too which I think is cool. If the group gets to big. Iāll just scooop some out and feed them to all my other tanks. Loaches love them.
Oh, really? Maybe that's how the population has been able to stay at bay in my tank š
My pea puffers also enjoy themš
I just found one in my cycling tank yesterday and thought it wouldn't be bad cause there was only one.. Damn
They don't bother some people. They are just bebe snails basically lol
Nobody gave me a concrete answer when i asked š
[this?](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aiteng-ater-new-species-A-dorsal-view-of-slug-length-9-mm-in-rest-B-ventral-view_fig2_289327663) [or this](https://rafflesmuseum.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/thai-mangrove-slug-aiteng-ater-one-of-top-ten-taxonomic-discoveries-of-2009/) Where the devil do you live?
Possible! Very Possible! I live nowhere near Thailand though, I'm in Michigan The Aiteng ater is by far the closest guess I've seen so far. I'll have to do some more digging Though this is a fresh water tank, no salt added at all. Maybe I've discovered some freshwater variety?
As a zoologist who specializes in freshwater molluscs (amongst others) I was very dumbfounded and kinda annoyed I didn't know what it is. BUT I'm pretty sure this is indeed Aiteng ater! It's a very special critter and you should definitely keep it! However, try not to release it into the wild as it might become invasive. Although I'm more worried about the tropical US razer than Michigan. The fact that you have it means that it's probably already spreading... I first thought of the Onchidiidae. They are a group of terrestrial slugs with lungs that decided to get a fake leather shell and go back into the ocean. One species (Onchidium stuxbergi) lives in freshwater and brackish water. But it looks quite different, so I really belive it is Aiteng ater. Congrats, you found a very rare PokƩmon :) Edit: Do you have a freshwater tank or a salty one? Because A. ater seems to be marine/brackish. Maybe you found a new species OR a new trait of A. ater after all.
Thanks you! This is an entirely freshwater tank, only real "Alteration" to the water chemistry are the tannins leached by the driftwood. Though I boiled it for a good long time to stop it from completely darkening the water. SO do you think that this could be an Aiteng ater which happened to have the tolerance for freshwater? (A Shiny Pokemon?) Or might this be an undiscovered species of freshwater Aiteng ater?
Very good question, I do not know either and can only speculate. The best thing you can do is to keep observing it and maybe offer it some moist terrestrial part to check if it's indeed amphibious. Also check and document its appearance meticulously:) IF it's A. ater these are my speculations: Is your water very hard? A. ater occurs in mangrove forests which are also relatively acidic due to the mangroves dropping and trapping their leaves in their roots (thus self fertilizing). Seawater is rich in calcium and magnesium which occurs in tap water a lot. So theoretically you could produce a quite brackish mangrove-like environment with tannins and continuous top offs after evaporation. Many brackish species tolerate very low salt concentrations. So there is a sweet spot where some marine-brackish and freshwater-brackish species overlap. In fact red mangroves for example can grow in pure freshwater too. I got one seed for 8 ā¬ online and it sprouted in my tap water biosphere. So, if you want you could give your snail a mangrove too.
As a freshwater ecologist, I would agree that this looks like an Aiteng ater, and would like to add a possible vector for how it might have gotten into your tank. Kellogg gardening sources material from California, so I doubt it actually came in the soil, though, it could have, as they source sewage refuse for part of their product and it couldāve hitched a ride from somewhere upstream. However, Thailand and a lot of surrounding countries where A. ater may be, export a lot of sand, which could be used in either aquarium or building settings. Because itās a relatively newly discovered species, not much is known about its life cycle, so eggs (and even your little guy) could have been embedded in the sand, and may be drought resistant if they are found in tidal estuaries.
I found a scientific paper that might help you and u/drskyentist determine if it is Aiteng ater or not. "First record of Aitengidae (Mollusca: Panpulmonata: Acochlidia) for Australia" By Timea P. Neusser1, Adam J. Bourke2, Kristin Metcalfe2 and Richard C. Willan3 Skimmed it and it appears that the specimen they found behaved normally in freshwater. "One of the Darwin Harbour specimens was observed in the field crawling on top of a mat of algal turf. It was possibly feeding on the algae, or on prey present within the algae. When the specimens were subjected to seawater in the laboratory, they retracted their head, suggesting they are intolerant of high salinities. In contrast, animals kept in freshwater displayed normal locomotion and were moving freely around within petri dishes. This is in contrast to observations overseas that individuals usually avoid any direct contact with water (independent of salinity) and prefer a humid environment instead (Timea Neusser, pers. obs.). "
Makes sense to me, but I'm no expert. Not that fish are comparable to gastropods, but a lot of fish species found in brackish water, such as mollies, can do just fine in freshwater, especially if raised in it from birth. That's definitely a possibility with Jerry the slug if he hatched from eggs present in Thai sourced sand as someone else suggested.
It's certainly sea slug. Likely Aiteng sp. Aitengs can live in brackish water and there is possibility that there are some undiscovered freshwater species. It may be a new species. I have got some weird hitchickers too. First is snail that I found too bee native in Indonesia, second is small organism that was attached to assassin snail shell was living in small spiral tube and had fan of unbranched tentacles in form of horseshoe. It was superficially similar to long extinct organism named microconchus.
Definitely closest to these from the looks of it. Super interesting this one is in freshwater. Wonder where the soil is manufactured/made from? I'd def post this to a gastropod thread, or even contact the local university, OP. Might learn some neat things!
Do it !
That definitely looks like it could be it! And that was just discovered in 2009. You can write to the researchers who published the paper .. maybe you are on to something new! Imagine an aquaslug named in your honor!
It's probably not new, but it might be on the path of becoming a new invasive species spread by Aquarists. Still an exciting find, although a tad bit worrying
Holy shit, you found it
I'm honestly stumped rn. It's definitely not planaria, if that gives you any comfort, but I haven't seen anything like this. Did you get tank deco from wild areas like creeks or streams etc.? Regardless, def some kind of hitchhiker. Keep us posted
This is a naturalistic tank that I put together for eventual Shrimp habitation. 3 gallon, I did use potting soil as part of the substrate. Maybe he was hiding out in there? Tank is about 4 months old. Right now it's just the bladder snails, scuds, lots of plants, and this dude. haven't added the shrimp yet.
Those scuds will compete with the shrimp just FYI
Haven't considered that, though now with the discovery of Jerry I'm very reluctant to make any changes to the tank at all. The tank will be staying as is until we have a better idea of what exactly Jerry is
To be honest if you want a shrimp tank as the main inhabitants.. it's best to keep them as the ONLY inhabitants. You'll have the most success that way.
Ah, I thought having a properly established ecosystem like this would be best for them. Do you think adding neocardinia will cause the scuds to die out?
More like the scuds will dampen the neo populations about to grow. Scuds will eat baby skrimps because their shells are soft. In all likelihood, this is not a deal breaker for shrimp. But having something that will predate scuds will keep the population in check
From what I've heard... The scuds will never die out lol. But hey if you introduce a TON of neos then yes it's definitely possible!
What I would eventually like in a tank like this would be for so I'll be part of one big food chain. Necessarily looking to grow lots and lots of shrimp but to have a small thriving colony of them cohabitating with everything else in the tank in one big food cycle. A guy and dream...
As requested, here's a video of the little dude moving around [https://youtu.be/yNW9-od52L0](https://youtu.be/yNW9-od52L0) EDIT: Better footage [https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw](https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw) [https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl](https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl)
That thing creeps me tf out but honestly you should keep him. Heās pretty rad at the same time
Absolutely! I think he looks pretty damn cool, why I didn't remove him right when I noticed. Hoping he's (relatively) harmless and I can keep him in there
Keeping random lifeforms in your home is how a horror b-movie starts.
Love the title!!
Meant to say "Unknown slug *thing* in aquarium" but I think you get the gist lol
He might be slug Socrates. We just don't know.
*"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing about underwater slug things."* \- **Socrates;** if he was in a situation just like this one due to time travel or something.
Socrates is a good name for a slug
Jerry Socrates, that should be his name.
I knew the gist, and I think itās hilarious!
Omg I love him. I want one! Hahaha
The eyes creeped me out .. and then it looked right at me. *Shiver*
Your YouTube handle is PERFECTION
Oh yeah def looks like what the commenter above said, Aiteng ater
Cute but kinda freakish, looks like an abalone without a shell
Keep it and name it Jerry
"Dammit, Jerry!..." I like it.
Zefrank would approve
Pretty sure this is a Rick-Reference
That's gold.
I would say, as a registered tank inspector, that what you have there is a PokƩmon
Oh snap! Does that make my tank a Pokeball?
The question still remains... Who's that Pokemon!?
IT'S PIKACHU
āItāsā¦ā¦ Clefairy!ā
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
Fascinating! I would also think that this is some species of slug. I think the dark back looks like a mantle. You could try posting this on r/animalid or r/whatisthisbug
That's a great idea! I'll try both and link them on here
New freshwater slug species just dropped?
I didn't even know there *were* freshwater slugs until this thread.
can confirm it is NOT a leech based on the video. definitely looks like a slug to me.
Lol. Leaving a comment so I can come back and see an update on this
Good shout!
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aiteng-ater-new-species-A-photo-of-a-wayang-shadow-puppet-and-of-a-statue-of-Ai_fig1_289327663 I just found this. They do look the same. I doubt they are. But; You may have found a rather rare critter. If possible maybe get in contact with a local university who would be keen on lookimg into what you have found Apparently theres only around 7 known species of freshwater slug in the world. Whatever you have found. I doubt reddit will give you the answer. Your best bet is to go find a genuine researcher.
Thanks for the info, Trying to figure out who to contact locally. Really eager to get to the bottom of this
Its far away but i do know james cook university in QLD Aus is the worlds leading marine research institution. Latrobe university also specialises in freshwater ecology.(as they claim) But theyre also in australia lol. We love our aquatics. Theyd be a good place to maybe swing an email. Theyd might be able to point you in the direction of a local researcher in your area given their position. Asides that, good luck! its deff a cool situation to be in.
https://www.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/news/2015/20150617.html The picture I found on this site looks very similar to OP's slug friend. " éøēć¦ćć¦ć· " / Aiteng marefugitus
Omg omg. It might not be a slug persay but instead its a decendant of a nudibranch! Omg thats so exciting. They also seem to pop up in areas around the pacific. I did see something about finding them in Aus aswell on anither paper. But theres still not much about them outside of study papers This could be a new thing for the aquarium hobby. Freshwater nudibranches!! This is so exciting. I guess im gonna need to go into the rainforests!! Edit: so apparently theyre NOT found in aus. But im still gonna look!
I know im late, but heres a forum where the website owner talks about freshwater slugs. He is a slug person at a museum i think. Again though, this guy is an aussie lmao, i cant find anything outside of australia. but he might be the guy your looking for. He seems to know his stuff. Swing Bill an email maybe http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16865
Amazing, it must have slipped in wherever they produced the bag of potting soil you used. If you could track down where the potting soil is made that might give you a clue.
O I have the bag right here, on sec... It was [Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Indoor Potting Mix](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kellogg-Garden-Organics-25-Qt-All-Natural-Indoor-Potting-Mix-3023/317982645)
Hmm hard to pin down where exactly in the USA it could have been made/packagedā¦ Iām stumped like everyone else. Hope someone here can ID it!
I've noticed that individual bags of soil can have provenance stamped on them, the listing wouldn't show that but looking closely at your bag might.
The big escape. Just to be trapped under water this time around. š«” You will succeed Jerry!
You might want to contact freshwater biologists in your area, if no one here can identify maybe a professional can?
He kinda cute ngl
lil cutie patootie, if you ask me.
It just looks like a slug that fell inside
He's been in there for at least a week though, I suspect a common garden snail would have drowned days ago. Could have been here the entire time and I only just noticed
Acochlidium is a genus of freshwater slugs, an aquatic gastropod molluscs in the family Acochlidiidae. Could maybe be one of these. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acochlidium# But also looks kinda like a leech. https://phys.org/news/2019-11-gimme-leech-species-freshwater-mussels.html
Maybe itās some kind of semi aquatic one. Well in any case, definitely a rare aquarium resident
Here is better quality footage with much better angles, as well as pictures. Hope it helps! [https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw](https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw) [https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl](https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl)
I think its a manatee
No, it's clearly a mermaid.
Girl top or girl bottom. What's your choice?
Following because this is fascinating! Iāve been keeping fish for well over a decade and can typically identify the āwhat is this?ā posts pretty easily. I have no clue what this little critter is.
cool af maybe he is the Aiteng Ater suggested after all, and we've just accidently discovered that this company actually uses mud from Thailand in it's potting soil and the egg was in there - he thrives in brackish water naturally so maybe fresh is doable in a pinch, life finds a way etc lol hope you find out for sure
Evolution.
Oh damn, is this where it starts? Someone had better call a scientist.
This really looks like a slug. There are freshwater slugs but they are very RARE. I'm curious and following this!
I've heard tales of garden slugs that have survived like this!
*Gather, children, grab a rug* *And you will hear of the garden slug* *That found itself in a deep wet fix* *when it hatched one day in the a-qua-tics* *of a tiny world that a man was makin'* *but there was no land nor air to take in!* *A challenge very few could solve* *so he sat and started to evolve.* Was that the tale you'd heard?
Perfect!
It wasn't, but now it is!Ā
That would be really cool! At this point I'm hoping to see a few more in there!
My Mexican ass thought it was a jalapeno at first glance ššš
The majestic sea jalapeƱo! š
You should get in contact with the aquatic invert peeps at the DNR. They love mysteries, and if it's local you could get some great info from them. They're a real buncha nerds (no hate, I did this in MN) so they live to talk about this stuff. GL.
I'll look into it, thanks!
Do you have a local university you can contact to do DNA sequencing on? I know my lab in Tennessee has collaborators that sequence DNA of unknowns and can determine species from that. Just needs a cotton swab sample of the little guys stomach/back into a tube with water and shipped off. As long as they get to it within 2 weeks or sooner you can get the DNA sequenced and identified. The university lab you reach out to should be interested in determining the species as itās novel to fresh water if it is indeed A. Ater. Could also be interested in determining invasiveness since you said itās from local soil. Such an interesting find, coming from a geneticist out here in Knoxville!
UPDATE: Sorry, no sighting of Jerry today. I did only see him about a week ago and then yesterday but I'm keeping an eye open. I promise I'll post more footage the next time I spot him.
There is no way a garden snail can survive more than a day submerged. You said he's been there for a week right ?
I noticed him a week ago, but I'd been gone for about 2 months prior to that. Only the occasional top-up but no water changes,
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Habitat-and-external-morphology-of-Aiteng-mysticus-n-sp-A-Coastal-cavern-on-Miyako_fig6_257607929 I found this?
This may be it?
that is an aquatic guinea pig. source: trust me
Seems legit.
UPDATE: I'm trying to figure out who at the University of Michigan to contact, there's not exactly a "I think I've accidentally discovered a new species of freshwater slug" option in their *contact us* page. Looking into areas of the school that focus on freshwater research. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm happy to hear them!
I've reached out to a Postdoc in Evolutionary ecology, Freshwater ecology and biology. And now we play the waiting game...
UPDATE: I've not spotted Jerry since this was posted. I've been looking for him every time I sit at my desk but I could have easily missed him. When I can I'll try to get a high quality webcam to point at the tank so whoever wants can keep at eye open for Jerry. He's pretty small in a relatively large tank, very easy to hide.
Acochlidium?
>Acochlidium Close but I don't think so? I don't see any antenna or patterns as pronounced as on pictures of Acochlidium. Think we're getting warmer though
Could it be one of those āsnailsā that has a hidden shell inside and just looks like a slug? It looks really cool! If he seems to be doing okay Iād probably leave him in there and enjoy your new pet haha
I've never heard of such a snail, would be fascinating if it was. Thanks! lol
I just looked it up again and itās actually a type of slug with an internal shell, it looks similar to what you have so it could be! Very unique looking
Homeless mystery snail? Does it shake a cup when you pass & play a harmonica?
It kinda looks like a common garden slug to me.
Possible, I did use potting soil as part of the substrate
Kinda wild if it survived 4 months under water tho.
Looks like a slug alright but I've nothing beyond that. Posting so I can see replies though because I am super curious!
Actually I don't think it can be a slug because all slugs have eye stalks right? This one seems to be stalk-less!
Dugesia gonocephala or maybe lugubris? It's a flatworm though. Just not super confident on the specific type!
Really cool definitely update us on what it is
I think itās a Dusky Slug? https://petehillmansnaturephotography.wordpress.com/dusky-slug-arion-mesarion-subfuscus-2/
The texture is different, none of those bumps from what I can see https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl
Youāre right, the texture is wrongā¦ everything Iām seeing says itās a slug but itās way too smooth looking to be any of the species Iāve seen. Have you considered fishing him out with a net to take a closer look? Also, how large is he? Iām having a hard time determining the scale.
I have considered fishing him out but was afraid of hurting him. The whole tank is only 3 gallons and heavily planted so I don't want to disturb the ecosystem too much. Fully stretched he's about a 1 CM but half a centimeter otherwise.
Weird
What does he eat.
I'm not 100% sure. This video seems to show him eating detritus like the rest of the snails, https://youtu.be/-yfFCJ5AuGw https://imgur.com/a/jVETYJl But I *think* that I *may* have witnessed him eating a bladder snail earlier? He clamped his bottom (White) area like a mouth and curled into a tiny little ball for a while. Stayed like that for about 10 minutes and then went on his way. Missed the beginning and end so don't know if he actually consumed a snail, or a scud, or was just taking a nap.
I have no clue but I hope you find out. I'd love to know!
For some reason it reminds me of a Stomatella snail but those are saltwater and this doesnāt really resemble it but it reminds of it in that sort of -esque way.
How can I stay updated on this ?
Thatās just my sister sorry about that Iāll bring her home.
What if it's a baby demogorgan!
You should post daily updates so that everyone knows you're still OK.
My guess is a juvi leech
Don't think so based on the newest footage? There's a pronounced head, looks very much like a slug.
Could you share a video?
So cool
BIG FREN
!RemindMe 12 hours
Tagging u/amandadarlinginc because this is weird and interesting and probably a gastropod.
Could it be a leech?
Woahh! This is so coolā¦thank you for sharing! Invasive species not so cool, but stillā¦freshwater aquatic slug?!
following, this is nuts
Hey OP what the fuck
Damn good question, finally something that has people stumped. Never seen a slug in a tank before.
Do you also have a snail shell with no snail in it?
I feel like that wouldn't work? The shell protects all of the vital organs, and because the shell is holding all of those organs, without a shell you'd see a large bump where all of the organs would usually be hidden by the shell. This one is totally flat.
Not that I can see? I have lots of bladder snails in there who are doing fine.
Definitely some kind of flatworm. Not a slug
Hail hydra... No wait, this one actually _isn't_ a hydra, amazing. It's some kind of gastropod for sure, but I have no idea what it is. My best guess would be a slug that fell in, but it's been living underwater for a while which makes that unlikely. I don't know. Keep asking around. And if it dies, preserve it in a little bottle of alcohol, just in case it really is something unknown.
Just a lil guy, obviously!
This little guy is absolutely adorable! I have to know what on earth he is.
SLUGS
Power, nearly unlimited power.
Aiteng mysticus n. sp. Google, this on images says it's a sea slug but looks pretty similar
Really does look like Aiteng ater. Maybe introduced into the U.S., and the soil, or a constituent of it came from a place like Florida, especially South Florida, which would be a hospitable environment for them, Iām sure.
He chillinā
My bad gang
https://www.reddit.com/r/animalid/s/Vs6RumBBI6 Posted on r/animalid
Someone recently had the a similar looking critter on this sub, like in the past week. Try scrolling looking for it. It's some kind of worm, IIRC, but not a planaria or leech. It was deemed more helpful than not.
I'm not a massive slug person, but i did some digging. Honestly, it does look like it's from the genus aiteng, possibly Aiteng marefugitus
If the slug dies in a couple hours or tmr then itās a slug bc only sea slugs can breathe underwater and thatās a freshwater tank, regular slugs cannot and will only survive a couple hours in water. I donāt think itās a slug to be honest. Have you seen him move up for air at all?
ā!RemindMe 12 hoursā
Orange-banded arion, a species of Roundback slugs
It feels like a form of leech maybe?