Black Devil Snail

Faunus ater, also known as the Black Devil Snail or Devil Thorn Snail, is a species of snail that is widespread in Southeast Asia and occurs, among other places, in India, Thailand, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. There, the Black Devil Snail is found in estuaries of brackish water and lives in both freshwater and brackish water. Faunus ater is the only species that belongs to the genus Faunus. Typical for this species are the mostly black foot and the black to bronze-colored, smooth and up to 8cm long housing. The tip of the shell may erode white with age. However, this is natural and does not harm the snails.

Care in the aquarium

As long as the Black Devil Snail’s basic needs are taken into account, it is easy to care for and robust. Due to its size, it should be kept in an aquarium that holds at least 54 liters or has an edge length of 60cm. In its natural habitat, the water has high temperatures of around 25-30°C and often brackish water conditions, i.e. a slightly higher salt content. Nevertheless, the naturally very adaptable snail can easily be kept in a freshwater aquarium. The water should have a pH value between 6.7 and 8.5 and may be relatively soft to hard (up to ~22°dGH). However, as with most species of snails, medium to hard water is ideal, as the shell can be damaged if the water is too soft. The water temperature should never fall below 22°C and ideally should be 25-30°C. A soil substrate that is not too coarse such as sand, soil or fine gravel should be preferred, as the Black Devil Snail likes to burrow into it.

Feeding

The Black Devil Snail feeds mainly on dead plant parts (healthy plants are not eaten), algae and bacterial films and can also be fed in the aquarium with food tabs, snail or shrimp food.

Sexual characteristics and breeding