Variations
4 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Rabbit snail
Peaceful; needs warm, hard water.
- They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 21–25 °C). No setting suits both.
- Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.5–8.5 vs 5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
- They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
- They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 16–25 °C). No setting suits both.
- Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
- Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.5–8.5 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
- Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
114 species in our list are a good match.
Care and water
Behavior
Peaceful; needs warm, hard water.
Food
Vegetables, pellets.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Male or female
Separate sexes (not hermaphrodites) but males and females look alike from outside; keep several to get both sexes.
Health
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Breeding
Direct developer · Moderate
Live-bearing (ovoviviparous): young develop in a uterine brood pouch and are released one at a time as shelled juveniles, so numbers rise slowly.
Buy a group of 5-8. Sexes are separate.
A 60-100 L tank with sand, rocks, driftwood and warm, hard, alkaline water of 26-30 C.
Warm, stable water and good food.
No eggs are laid in the open: the female carries embryos in a brood pouch (1-14 at a time in T. sarasinorum) and releases single shelled juveniles, which in some species are nearly 2 cm.
Young eat veggies, algae and sinking foods. Growth is slow.
- Soft water
- Cold water
- Using copper
Where it lives in the wild
The story of the rabbit snail
From the ancient lakes of Sulawesi (Lake Poso and the Malili lakes), where the genus has formed species flocks.
The genus Tylomelania was named in 1897 by the Swiss naturalist cousins Paul and Fritz Sarasin, who explored Sulawesi. Rabbit snails evolved into many species in the island's ancient lakes, which is why scientists study them as an example of rapid diversification. They entered the aquarium hobby in the 2000s and are prized for their long, droopy snouts.
First described by Paul & Fritz Sarasin in 1897.
- They give birth to live young.
- Their long, drooping snout and tentacles suggest a rabbit's face and ears.
- Many species are found only in Sulawesi.
Sources
12 facts checked with sources
- Scientific name
Genus, not a single species: 'rabbit snail' covers several Tylomelania species and undescribed forms, often sold by colour (orange, yellow, black, chocolate, gold) rather than by species. Garnelio lists trade forms incl. T. patriarchalis, T. towutensis, T. perfecta and Lake Poso 'Yellow/Orange'. 'Orange rabbit snail' is often labelled T. gemmifera, a Lake Matano species; labels in the trade are unreliable. Freshwater snail (gastropod), not a fish.
von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2008, Three new species of the freshwater snail genus Tylomelania (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) from the Malili lake system, Sulawesi, Zootaxa 1852 (peer-reviewed) · Wikipedia: Tylomelania (cites von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 85: 513-542) - Familycorrected
New value (legacy had none).
von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2008, Three new species of the freshwater snail genus Tylomelania (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) from the Malili lake system, Sulawesi, Zootaxa 1852 (peer-reviewed) - Size
Shell length; varies a lot by species (e.g. T. gemmifera shell height 4.65 cm, Sarasin & Sarasin 1897 via Wikipedia). Hobby source only.
Garnelio: Tylomelania - great snails from Sulawesi (established hobby/retail reference) - Temperature
This is the lake water temperature in the wild (even below 20 m depth), not a husbandry range. Supports warm keeping; no keeping range found in a reliable source.
Garnelio: Tylomelania - great snails from Sulawesi (established hobby/retail reference) - pH
Wild lake value (hobby source); consistent with legacy upper limit.
Garnelio: Tylomelania - great snails from Sulawesi (established hobby/retail reference) - Smallest tank
Garnelio: a group of 3-4 T. patriarchalis fits a standard 54 L tank (60 x 30 x 30 cm = 54 L). Legacy 60 L is close; smaller 'mini' forms are kept from 20 L.
Garnelio: Tylomelania - great snails from Sulawesi (established hobby/retail reference) - Group size
No minimum group given. Garnelio advises more than three snails if you want both sexes for breeding.
Garnelio: Tylomelania - great snails from Sulawesi (established hobby/retail reference) - Where it livescorrected
New value.
Wikipedia: Tylomelania (cites von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 85: 513-542) · von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2008, Three new species of the freshwater snail genus Tylomelania (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) from the Malili lake system, Sulawesi, Zootaxa 1852 (peer-reviewed) - Male or femaleGarnelio: Tylomelania - great snails from Sulawesi (established hobby/retail reference) · Wikipedia: Tylomelania (cites von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 85: 513-542)
- Breeding
Primary: von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005 (via Wikipedia; not fetched).
Wikipedia: Tylomelania (cites von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 85: 513-542) - Eggs and youngcorrected
Aquarists often see a white 'egg' capsule around the newborn, but sources describe live birth from a brood pouch. No source found for the legacy 4-8 week timing.
Wikipedia: Tylomelania sarasinorum (cites von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005) · Wikipedia: Tylomelania (cites von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2005, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 85: 513-542) - Story
Origin claim verified; the 'rabbit-like face' is descriptive. Several Malili species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List (e.g. T. sarasinorum Endangered).
von Rintelen & Glaubrecht 2008, Three new species of the freshwater snail genus Tylomelania (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) from the Malili lake system, Sulawesi, Zootaxa 1852 (peer-reviewed)