Breeding the Black Devil Snail

Faunus ater is a brackish-water snail that does not establish breeding populations in freshwater; it lays eggs and probably has free-swimming larvae needing salinity.

Overview

Faunus ater is a snail in the family Pachychilidae that is unusual among its relatives: it is the only pachychilid that lives in slightly brackish water, though it has also been recorded in freshwater. This brackish association is the key to understanding why it does not breed in freshwater aquariums.

Reproduction

The species is oviparous (egg-laying). According to Wikipedia, it probably has free-swimming larvae. A planktonic larval stage of this kind typically requires brackish or saline conditions to complete development, which is consistent with the species' natural brackish habitat.

Why It Does Not Breed in Freshwater

Because the larvae are free-swimming and the species is tied to brackish water in nature, a self-sustaining population is not established in a standard freshwater aquarium. Sexing methods and detailed clutch information are not documented in the available source.