Description
Thiara Cancellata has a light brown/reddish brown shell and unusual long dark bristles that resemble hairs. It is often referred to as the Hairy Snail, Hairy Tower Lid Snail or Porcupine Snail.
Thiara Cancellata prefers a sandy bottom and it will burrow itself. They are mostly active at night and will clean the aquarium of algae, food residue in the substrate and detritus (biowaste). They grow up to 3 cm.
These snails have separate sexes but the male and female are visually indistinguishable and there is no record that it has been bred in the home aquarium. They release live offspring in free-floating larval form in their natural environment. The adult Thiara Cancellata lives in freshwater streams but its larvae needs full marine conditions to develop.
The snail does not require difficult water parameters. It needs a pH of 6 – 8, hardness of 6 – 25 ° dGH and temperature of 22 – 26 ° C. They are suitable for aquariums from 12L.
It is best to maintain a water line slightly lower than is usual (about the same gap as the height of the largest snail will be sufficient) to allow them to move in and out of the water if they choose. The aquarium cover should be kept tightly shut as these snails are excellent escape artists.
The Hairy Snail is endemic to freshwater and brackish habitats on the island of Bohol in the Philippines.
