Planorbarius corneus
Linnaeus, 1758

Great Ramshorn Snail

Above: A Great Ramshorn Snail. Photo by Sam Borstein.

Etymology:

Genus- Plan= plane (Latin), orb= round (Latin).
Species- corneus= horn (Latin).

Intro:

The Great Ramshorn Snail is a common aquarium snail. It is found in many tanks as it is usually a hitch hiker on plants, wood, etc. It is a good scavenger and algae eater.

Distribution:

Great Ramshorn Snails are found through Europe and Central Asia. They inhabit slow moving waters around vegetation.

Size, Maturity, and Sexual Dimorphism:

Size: 1.5-2 inch
Maturity: 1 inch

Care:

Great Ramshorn Snails are easy to care for and really require no care. They will climb the glass and tank ornaments searching for food. Harder water is better. They can tolerate fairly cold temperatures and for this reason it is a common pond snail.

Diet:

This snail eats just about anything, including algae and dead organisms.

Breeding:

Great Ramshorn Snails breed by themselves and require little. These snails are hermaphrodites. The eggs are seen on the glass or hard objects in the tank in a gel cluster.

Above: The eggs of Planorbarius corneus.

Conclusion:

Great Ramshorn Snails are common and usually hitchhike in on plants. They can become a nuisance if they aren't controlled. Some fish like loaches and puffers will gladly eat them and can be used as a control method.