Babysitter Snails

Babysitter Snails (Neptunea amianta)

A rockfish and hermit crabs hang out in a nursery of Neptunea snails at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge.The snail stalks rise from small carbonate cobbles. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1766; V14.

These snails lay eggs in a spiral tower; the adult snail sits on top of the tower until the eggs hatch. Once the juveniles emerge, the parent snail will fall off and die. These snails were first seen clustered together along the SUM1W2 cable route at Southern Hydrate Ridge, but they are found at other rocky outcrop locations around the ridge. The depth at this location was 776 m. These snails have also been found colonizing primary node PN1D at 115 m water depth. The towers appear to be 8 to 12 inches tall and the adult snails are about three inches long.

References:
Paul Yancey, Whitman College, http://people.whitman.edu/~yancey/ https://montereybay.noaa.gov/research/techreports/trtamburri1999.html

Beautiful egg casings of Neptunea snails and small shrimp on thrive on carbonate rocks at the Pinnacle site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V22.
Beautiful egg casings of Neptunea snails and small shrimp on thrive on carbonate rocks at the Pinnacle site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V22.
Near Pythias Oasis, a large, and very old crab, encrusted by anemones, wanders a garden of Neptunea snails and their egg casings, with the seafloor littered by orange anemones. Credit: D. Kelley, UW/NSF/ WHOI, V21.
Near Pythias Oasis, a large, and very old crab, encrusted by anemones, wanders a garden of Neptunea snails and their egg casings, with the seafloor littered by orange anemones. Credit: D. Kelley, UW/NSF/ WHOI, V21.
babysittersnails-poster
These snails lay eggs in a spiral tower and the adult snail sits on top of the tower waiting for the eggs to hatch. The snails were all clustered together along a cable route SUM1W2 at Southern Hydrate Ridge. We did not see the snails at any location other than here. The depth at this location was 776 m. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI//CSSF; ROPOS Dive 1758; V14
These snails lay eggs in a spiral tower and the adult snail sits on top of the tower waiting for the eggs to hatch. The snails were all clustered together along a cable route SUM1W2 at Southern Hydrate Ridge. We did not see the snails at any location other than here. The depth at this location was 776 m. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI//CSSF; ROPOS Dive 1758; V14
The vibrant Neptunea nursery that was covered in bright yellow egg stalks topped with Neptunea snails is not longer active. Only casings and empty shells remain. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/WHOI; J2-981; V17.
The vibrant Neptunea nursery that was covered in bright yellow egg stalks topped with Neptunea snails is not longer active. Only casings and empty shells remain. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/WHOI; J2-981; V17.
Old Neptunea snail egg casings are capped by small anemones at the bubble plume site. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; V15.
Old Neptunea snail egg casings are capped by small anemones at the bubble plume site. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; V15.
UW School of Oceanography students, Katie Bigham and Jesse Turner, ponder Neptunea snail egg stalks from Southern Hydrate Ridge during Leg 1 of the VISIONS'15 cruise. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.
UW School of Oceanography students, Katie Bigham and Jesse Turner, ponder Neptunea snail egg stalks from Southern Hydrate Ridge during Leg 1 of the VISIONS'15 cruise. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.
A close up of a beautiful stalk of Neptunea snail eggs recovered from Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.
A close up of a beautiful stalk of Neptunea snail eggs recovered from Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.
The Neptunea nursery in 2015 was devoid of tending snails on top of the egg stalks. Recovery of the stalks showed that the eggs are still viable. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS, Dive R1845, V15.
The Neptunea nursery in 2015 was devoid of tending snails on top of the egg stalks. Recovery of the stalks showed that the eggs are still viable. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS, Dive R1845, V15.
Deb brings in a recovered carbonate cobble with egg casings of Neptunea snails from Southern Hydrate Ridge. The eggs can take up to 1 year to hatch. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.
Deb brings in a recovered carbonate cobble with egg casings of Neptunea snails from Southern Hydrate Ridge. The eggs can take up to 1 year to hatch. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.
Snails form yellow egg stacks and are surrounded by sea anemones at a water depth of ~ 114 m off Oregon. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1780; V14.
Snails form yellow egg stacks and are surrounded by sea anemones at a water depth of ~ 114 m off Oregon. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1780; V14.
A cranchiid squid (likely Taonius borealis) swimming over a field of Neptunea snails and their egg cases at Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF
A cranchiid squid (likely Taonius borealis) swimming over a field of Neptunea snails and their egg cases at Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF
Hagfish (purple), red rockfish, crabs, and hermit crabs wander within the nusery for Neptunea snails laying eggs that form yellow stocks on carbonate cobbles. Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1766; V14.
Hagfish (purple), red rockfish, crabs, and hermit crabs wander within the nusery for Neptunea snails laying eggs that form yellow stocks on carbonate cobbles. Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1766; V14.
A rockfish and hemit crabs hang out in a nursery of Neptunea snails at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge.The snail stalks rise from small carbonate cobbles. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1766; V14.
A rockfish and hemit crabs hang out in a nursery of Neptunea snails at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge.The snail stalks rise from small carbonate cobbles. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1766; V14.
Close up of a Neptunea snail on its egg stalk at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1758; V14.
Close up of a Neptunea snail on its egg stalk at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1758; V14.
A nursery of Neptunea snails rest atop their egg stalks, babysitting them until the adult snails die and fall off the stalks. The eggs are laid on small carbonate cobbles. Rockfish, sole, spider crabs, and hermit crabs wander through the forest of stalks. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1758; V14.  
A nursery of Neptunea snails rest atop their egg stalks, babysitting them until the adult snails die and fall off the stalks. The eggs are laid on small carbonate cobbles. Rockfish, sole, spider crabs, and hermit crabs wander through the forest of stalks. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1758; V14.  
The yellow pillars are vertical egg cases laid by Neptunea snails at Pinnacle, near Southern Hydrate Ridge, providing cover for rockfish and crabs. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2228, V22
The yellow pillars are vertical egg cases laid by Neptunea snails at Pinnacle, near Southern Hydrate Ridge, providing cover for rockfish and crabs. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2228, V22