Tube Snailer

Tube Snailer
Creator	oofle
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Tube Snailer, Social Snailer, Tube Neritan
Zones	15
Roles	Base-Consumer
Classification
Genus	Neritina
Species	Neritina mucophilus
Evolution
Date	May 29th, 2022
Ancestor	Neritina tigerensis
Descendants	No results

Length: 20 mm (dominant individuals), 16 mm (nondominant individuals)

Neritina mucophilus is a Neritid that specializes on Bryopsis and are socially organized.

The Tube Snailer is often seen either foraging on Bryopsis caulimuscos or secreting specialized mucus into winding systems of tubes along the riverbed. This mucus links together making it durable. The Tube Snailers live in these tubes and constantly expand them towards food sources, eating old mucus to regain the nutrients. In the system of tubes are 2-6 larger individuals, often laying eggs. These individuals are constantly releasing pheromones that stunt the others in their group and greatly reduce reproductive capacity and behavior. The smaller individuals affected by the pheromone are the workers. The Tube Snailer has a special form of mucus secreted from between the eyestalks that is denser in nutrients than the construction mucus, the workers feed this mucus to the dominant individuals in their colony.

The Tube Snailer’s radula is retractable only extending for feeding keeping it fit for feeding. They have a flat nose-like section to spin their mucus tubes. Their shell has a thin periostracum to reduce wear in the rough waters of zone 15.

The colonies aid in survival and increase overall reproduction. Sociality allows for construction of mucus tubes allowing the colony to move by consuming and rebuilding, and providing a shelter from the river flow which further protects the shell from wear as well.

Workers growth is blocked by the pheromones produced by dominant individuals but if a colony has too few dominants or a worker goes long enough without exposure to the pheromones causing they can reach sexual maturity. Dominant individuals are not receptive to the pheromones so they can't suppressed by other dominant individuals.

Colonies are fluid and unstable, individuals may leave when they mature to establish a new colony, but most of the time colonies split up when food becomes scarce or they become too large for the surrounding environment to support. Newly founded colonies consistent of wandering mature individuals that group up, initially building and feeding themselves until numerous workers live in the colony.