Why are there no invert diseases?

[SlugSnorter]

I don't mean in general, I mean in the context of the hobby, why are there essentially no cases of some snail disease wiping out a tanks snails or something.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Inverts

I don't mean in general, I mean in the context of the hobby, why are there essentially no cases of some snail disease wiping out a tanks snails or something.

Invert’s can bring in disease but are poor hosts for parasites who then seek out the fish

 

[SlugSnorter]

Inverts

Invert’s can bring in disease but are poor hosts for parasites who then seek out the fish

I understand that, but I am speaking about parasites/diseases who target "inverts" (I understand thats a super broad term)

 

[Lavey29]

I understand that, but I am speaking about parasites/diseases who target "inverts" (I understand thats a super broad term)

Does anyone really do snail autopsies?

 

[SlugSnorter]

Does anyone really do snail autopsies?

no, but when a tank gets velvet, it kills the fish, but we don't see something like that with snails.

 

[Bucs20fan]

This is total spitballing, we all have more snails than crabs and such, and snails have an insane slime coat. I credit this to only carrying versus being infected.

 

[blaxsun]

I only find empty shells...

 

[Lavey29]

no, but when a tank gets velvet, it kills the fish, but we don't see something like that with snails.

I just think snails are like roaches. They have adapted over millions of years and will be around long after I'm gone. The eco systems depend on them for survival.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I just think snails are like roaches. They have adapted over millions of years and will be around long after I'm gone. The eco systems depend on them for survival.

there are roach diseases that can wipe out populations

 

[Wasabiroot]

There likely are; invertebrates in general (specifically molluscs and arthropods) typically don't go through the same level of disease diagnosis/treatment/study that larger macrofauna do, but are still host to a variety of viruses/bacterial/protozoan infection. In addition, gastropods are typically intermediate hosts in the life cycle of a parasite or other pathogen and so their effect is likely less visible. Finally, the life cycle of many gastropods and arthropods influences the progression, stage and visibility of disease.
This is not to mention that plenty of disease management occurs in the seafood trade, i.e. transmissable snail parasites affecting scallop populations, etc etc.
It's more likely that the amount of research done into pathogens is comparatively smaller and less visible and so we pay it no mind.

When you see a dead snail, do you know for SURE what killed it?

 

[Bucs20fan]

There likely are; invertebrates in general (specifically molluscs and arthropods) typically don't go through the same level of disease diagnosis/treatment/study that larger macrofauna do, but are still host to a variety of viruses/bacterial/protozoan infection. In addition, gastropods are typically intermediate hosts in the life cycle of a parasite or other pathogen and so their effect is likely less visible. Finally, the life cycle of many gastropods and arthropods influences the progression, stage and visibility of disease.
This is not to mention that plenty of disease management occurs in the seafood trade, i.e. transmissable snail parasites affecting scallop populations, etc etc.
It's more likely that the amount of research done into pathogens is comparatively smaller and less visible and so we pay it no mind.

When you see a dead snail, do you know for SURE what killed it?

I agree, I see a dead snail or a new open shell, Hermit crab in my mind and I speak for most of us in this I think, thats what we say and go about our business.

 

[Lavey29]

there are roach diseases that can wipe out populations

Wipe out roaches or something else?

 

[bnord]

I know this is not an answer to your question, but there are a ratty of parasites that infect fresh water snails, that in some cases are highly infectious to and pathogenic in humans (or other vertebrate hosts. Schistosomiasis is on one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in parts of the developing world.

Also crabs and specifically hermits have a broad range of parasites that use the crab fro part of its life cycle

why we don’t hear about it is i guess the fact they only cost 5 bucks a pop…

 

[SlugSnorter]

There likely are; invertebrates in general (specifically molluscs and arthropods) typically don't go through the same level of disease diagnosis/treatment/study that larger macrofauna do, but are still host to a variety of viruses/bacterial/protozoan infection. In addition, gastropods are typically intermediate hosts in the life cycle of a parasite or other pathogen and so their effect is likely less visible. Finally, the life cycle of many gastropods and arthropods influences the progression, stage and visibility of disease.
This is not to mention that plenty of disease management occurs in the seafood trade, i.e. transmissable snail parasites affecting scallop populations, etc etc.
It's more likely that the amount of research done into pathogens is comparatively smaller and less visible and so we pay it no mind.

When you see a dead snail, do you know for SURE what killed it?

Interesting, so due to their lifestyles infections that quickly spread through a population and kill them after a shorter time were not successful, so snail diseases are somewhat more commensal than fish diseases?

 

[SlugSnorter]

Wipe out roaches or something else?

roach populations. although not on a giant mile wide scale or something

 

[Wasabiroot]

Interesting, so due to their lifestyles infections that quickly spread through a population and kill them after a shorter time were not successful, so snail diseases are somewhat more commensal than fish diseases?

I'm probably not the best person to ask about this - my knowledge of invertebrate disease is likely far outclassed by someone like Jay Hemdal - but I would say it's a variety of factors. The other thing might be confirmation bias, right? We're much more likely to make a thread about marine velvet, for example, than some mystery pathogen taking out a few 3 dollar snails. My educated guess is that the disease load might be more tolerated in a species that is often a vector, rather than the final endpoint for the pathogen, but I'm sure there are exceptions. If you do a quick google search you can find a few scholarly articles about invertebrate pathogens - they exist, but it's probably that they're either poorly studied or known within the marine aquarium hobby itself.

Above posts mention some very relevant diseases!

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I don't mean in general, I mean in the context of the hobby, why are there essentially no cases of some snail disease wiping out a tanks snails or something.

Nvm misread the post

 

[SlugSnorter]

I know this is not an answer to your question, but there are a ratty of parasites that infect fresh water snails, that in some cases are highly infectious to and pathogenic in humans (or other vertebrate hosts. Schistosomiasis is on one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in parts of the developing world.

Also crabs and specifically hermits have a broad range of parasites that use the crab fro part of its life cycle

why we don’t hear about it is i guess the fact they only cost 5 bucks a pop…

Schistosomiasis is crazy, one of our old rivals.

 

[Lavey29]

roach populations. although not on a giant mile wide scale or something

But yet they survive and thrive again. Nature gives them the tools to adapt. I'm sure snails have their own species specific diseases but it's probably not something that is studied in depth.

 

[Tamberav]

We just don’t talk about it or know much. There is a disease that effects shrimp. It shows up as black dots on the shell. It is a virus.