Snail ID help

[Hydro]

Found this tiny hitchhiker (~3 mm) on one of my plants. I don't keep snails other than pond snails for my puffers so I don't know what this is. It looks like a ramshorn. Can someone confirm please.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/soir/Misc/IMG_2459a.jpg

[amber2461]

It looks like a juvie ramshorn to me :)

[Robert]

Hi,
it is no ramshorn snail, Planorbis corneus, for sure if it has really this small size. Young ramshorn snails look different. It is hard to tell you which species it is with only this picture. Please take a picture of the side of the shell and of the opening. I have a idea what it could be and it is no Planorbis species. But I would like to see more pictures before I can tell you (almost) for sure what exactly it is.

regards

Robert

[rain-]

As Robert said, it is rather difficult to tell the exact species from the picture. But it is a some sort of tiny ramshorn snail species belonging to genera Planorbidae.

This species I have in my aquariums is most likely Gyraulus albus (grows to max. 5 millimetres):
http://sademetsa.net/160504/images/kehat.jpg

[Hydro]

Thanks everybody for your replies. I'll do my best to get a picture from the side and other angles, but it may be a tall order. It's so tiny it could be tough to focus if I can't get close to it (assuming I can find it again lol ).

While I try to chase down a picture, is it ok to leave it in the shrimp tank? I don't mind as long as it doesn't harm my plants and shrimps or take over the tank.

Thanks!

Edit: P.S. Rain, the ones in your picture do like the little guy I have.

[Hydro]

I manage to snap a few pictures of this guy. It's not the sharpest due to focusing difficulty but I hope they are adequate.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/soir/Misc/IMG_2630a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/soir/Misc/IMG_2642a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/soir/Misc/IMG_2646a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/soir/Misc/IMG_2653a.jpg

Either my previous size estimate was a bit off or it has grown. It's measuring closer to 5 mm now.

So what do you think?

[Jane of Upton]

Thanks to Rain for ID-ing the family - I have these too, and they're definitely different than the "common" red or brown ramshorns (NOT the Columbian Ramshorns, which are plant-eaters).

These are like golden discs, and they carry their shell very flat, almost horizontal with the surface they're travelling. The "common" ramshorns carry their shell perpendicular to their travel, unless they're in a current.

I'm glad to have a partial ID. Also, I've had these in just one of my plant tanks for nearly half a year now (came in on plants), and I've been watching them closely, but so far I've not seen any damage attributable to them.

They seem to get into the nooks and crannies of fine-leafed plants, so I've decided I like them.

-Jane