This Snail Goes Fishing With a Net Made of Slime | Deep Look

Most of the sea snails in this tide pool cruise around searching for food. But not the scaled wormsnail. It cements its shell to a rock and snags its meals using the one thing a snail has plenty of: mucus!
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While most sea snails spend their time grazing on algae or searching for prey, the scaled wormsnail spends its entire adult life stuck in the same spot.
It cements its shell directly to a solid structure like rock. That means when it comes to getting food, the scaled wormsnail needs to get creative. So it uses the one thing a snail has plenty of: mucus.
“They essentially use the same kind of mucus that a garden snail would glide on, and use that to make a web to catch their food,” says Rüdiger Bieler, a biologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Scaled wormsnails tend to live near shore where the waves churn up a stew of tasty morsels for this miniature fisher to catch.
“They're taking live plankton and bits of seaweed … along with whatever edible debris that's floating in the water,” says Bieler. “They don't seem to be very choosy.”
“It seems like a pretty lonely life. You can't get out and visit your neighbor and see new things. You're just sitting there and waiting for things to float by.”
--- What do scaled wormsnails eat?
Wormsnails use their mucus strands like a fishing net to collect food from seawater. The wormsnail will exude its net, which snags plankton as well as tiny bits of seaweed and detritus churned up by the waves. Then the wormsnail drags in and eats the net, along with all the tasty bits trapped within it.
--- Why are vermetid snails bad for aquariums?
Vermetid snails are a group of sea snails that belong to the family Vermetidae. Their name refers to the worm-like shape of their shells. Some species of vermetid snails can hitchhike their way into warm-water home aquariums, where they can damage coral by either attaching to it or by smothering and starving it with their mucus net.
--- How do you get rid of vermetid snails in an aquarium?
There are multiple techniques to get rid of unwanted vermetid snails in home aquariums. The simplest way is to dispose of the rocks or other solid items on which the snail has attached. Or the rocks can be soaked in a chemical solution to kill the snail and dissolve the shell.
Some aquarists get rid of vermetid snails by physically prying their shell tower from the rock or coral.
---+ Read the entire article on KQED Science:
www.kqed.org/s...
---+ For more information:
Rüdiger Bieler studies mollusks, including wormsnails, at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
www.fieldmuseu...
Seymour Marine Discovery Center at the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science Campus
seymourcenter....
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Watch These Cunning Snails Stab and Swallow Fish Whole | Deep Look
• Watch These Cunning Sn...
Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Snail Sex | Deep Look
• Everything You Never W...
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#wormsnail #vermetid #deeplook

[@NewMessage]

As a lifelong couch potato, I think I just found my spirit animal.

[@hiddenguy67]

real

[@ShirokumaSama]

Get on it level and find yourself a net 😏

[@adamwishneusky]

Relatable content

[@DocMartn253]

So you hock a loogie into the kitchen, in the hopes that the force of its projection opens the refrigerator door and as you retract it back, you bring back a beer and nachos?! DOPE!!! 😉😀😄😁😆😅😂🤣😭

[@TimesRyan]

Aww.🥔 & 🐌

[@adpirtle]

Fascinating footage of a type of snail I've never heard of. I love their mucus fishing technique.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

You and me both!

[@adolcristin3526]

We are in a different universe i never heard of this thing!!! 😖

[@dragondraems42]

This is one of my favorite channels, it's rare to see such high quality macroscopic documentary footage on youtube, especially of inverts. I appreciate all your hard work!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Wow, thank you!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

🐌💕🐌Hi Deep Peeps! We're getting a lot of questions about how these snails reproduce. We checked in with a snail researcher, and here is the answer: "Being stuck to a rock can pose some challenges when it comes to reproducing. Scaled wormsnails have separate sexes. Males package sperm into elaborate spermatophores which look like inflated bags. They secrete the spermatophores into the water where they are caught in a female’s feeding net. When the female punctures the bag with her radula the sperm bursts out of the bag and makes its way into the female snail’s reproductive tract. That’s where they make contact with her eggs. The female keeps the fertilized eggs in her shell with her until they are ready to make their way out into the ocean. The baby snails spend their youth as plankton traveling along with the water currents until they eventually settle on a hard surface and begin growing their distinctive shell. Once a scaled wormsnail picks a spot, it stays there for the rest of its life."

[@mariykaauber1743]

That is wild. Thank you for following up and sharing!! 🐌

[@chilicats]

Rad!

[@vivekshegokar6568]

Wow! This is "being lazy" on another level 😂

[@callystarizka-tata7892]

It's look like slug reproduction

[@TimesRyan]

It hadn't even occurred to me to consider that they're stationary and would require a different reproduction strategy than land snails. Thanks everyone who asked and to the 'Deep Look' peep who got the information for us!

[@tgnm9615]

Deep Look always have the feeling of "bubbly" and "bouncy" in the scripts! Its so fun to hear Laura narrates it while watching the high quality footage :D

[@__.AV.__]

I can already hear ZeFrank explaining the mucus net in relatable terms. "Imagine sitting in the movie theater and sneezing all over your popcorn. Now, instead of wiping your nose, just slurp it all up, popcorn and all. And maybe if you're lucky, you'll slurp up some of your neighbour's skittles too. Now that's what I call sucking up to the neighbour's, not that they'll see it like that." I swear this could easily be a thing he says if this was his video, I love that dude

[@Aasifkhan-np3qm]

A big thanks to the Deep look team for this upload and a special thanks to Laura for an amazing narration😊

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@reionj8816]

Truly fascinating, deep look never cease to amaze. Can learn a lot from those small creatures. 😊😂

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thanks!

[@aerokasyeal4840]

one of the proof of A creator Existence, Alhamdolillah for everything

[@liuyong-hk8ex]

@@aerokasyeal4840 No

[@aerokasyeal4840]

@@liuyong-hk8ex so who created all these smart creature, can't you see?

[@liuyong-hk8ex]

@@aerokasyeal4840 not your god

[@Lucas_lol842]

I love this channel, it teaches me a lot 😊😊😊 Edit one: 10 likes! Woohoo! Edit two: 50 WHAAA- Edit 3: 70 LIKES, THANKS GUYS!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Happy to hear that!

[@leviroch]

Not often I come across an animal I am unfamiliar with. . . Well played

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Cheers!

[@KartikChauhan__KC]

Just need to grab myself a net for foraging food items from the fridge and i will be practically indistinguishable from this snail.

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Sounds like you are perfectly adapted for our environment.

[@KartikChauhan__KC]

@@KQEDDeepLook Yes I am 😌

[@crimsonfirelily]

I never knew those were snails. That's super interesting! I just thought they were worms. 😂 Thank you Deep Look! That's so cool! 💜🥰✌

[@KQEDDeepLook]

They are!

[@Rantsack]

So cute! It's like the snail is shy. 🥰

[@JedediahCyrus]

Didn't have "mucus based hunting" on my what I learned in 2023 bingo sheet.

[@allisongong1009]

Mucus FTW!

[@manahil558]

3 days ago 😮

[@Vladimirtri]

@@manahil558ikr

[@Vladimirtri]

How???

[@kevinbourne4411]

There is(are? idk if multiple species are involved) a similar species given the label of "vermetids" that's a problem pest for the saltwater reef hobbyist community. They live and feed in the same manner. They're a pest because depending on the tank conditions, they can absolutely explode in numbers. Their tube shells aren't pretty to look at. Another reason for their pest status is their mucus nets can annoy corals by touching them- corals are not fans of being touched, ha. If annoyed enough, they can start to decline in health by being constantly forced into closing up- they need to open up for photosynthesis and feeding.

[@TheGreegles]

How do you get rid of them? Is it even possible to without destroying the tank?

[@The_KingDoge]

​@TheGreegles predators, chemicals, or long term intensive manual removal

[@thememebandito4654]

I never knew snails liver in homes like that, you learn smth new from deep look every time they upload.😅

[@eeggor4541]

I honestly believe that I have seen and read an unhealthy amount of animal trivia and information but this channel keeps teaching me mew stuff its super rare for me thank you

[@KQEDDeepLook]

You are so kind, thanks.

[@justinjyeung]

Now this makes me curious about how they reproduce, considering how sedentary they are :o

[@nowonder5704]

I learn a lot watching this channel!!😍

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@devonhill9099]

That’s incredible!!! It’s basically a convergent equivalent of a barnacle!!!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Snarnicle?

[@Lucas_lol842]

I love that joke!

[@TheOnlyGecko]

The first chapter of my PhD was on this group of snails, glad to see they're getting recognition! Some species host parasites that can end up in turtles!

[@Wildernesses]

Born a snail, but he wants to be a spider. haha

[@snowballeffect7812]

I'm assuming they regurgitate their waste? How are the shells made? How do they procreate?

[@okman9684]

The only creature that can challenge my dad in patients during fishing

[@Kuwagumo]

I never heard about this snail before. Awesome video!

[@AniFam]

Awesome~👍 Thank you for sharing this video~🤗

[@charliepea]

Love the little flute everytime there's a little creature stuck, like the ones in 2:30 and 2:57

[@BrockLeonard]

These close ups are great! Have these all over my saltwater tank.

[@soogymoogi]

I work with fish and I've cut my hands on their shells a few times. I have a new appreciation for them after this

[@lioneltall7219]

This channel is literally the best with high quality videos!!! AMAZING!!! 🔥

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@CONCEALEDINALIMITLESSBARRIER]

Once you upload it teaches my mind lots of stuff thank you its very fascinating but i hope you upload more frequently, but its probably long to edit so take your time! :)

[@molybdaen11]

Recall the search party, i found my spiritual animal.

[@Jay_Bhgvan]

Good capture ❤

[@PushyPawn]

Spider Snail, Spider Snail, Does whatever a Spider Snail does

[@benslusher1698]

Your content is so educational and fun! Every video gets better and better! The clarity and narration is spot on!

[@ST0AT]

What do Deep Look and Nickelodeon have in common? Both have this weird fascination with slime

[@edisonlewis8314]

3:02 Mmmm, mucus net🤤 got me😂

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Laura made us laugh with that too.

[@royhsieh4307]

when everyone calls you a worm snail but you watched enough spiderman

[@mohamednasry8162]

سبحان الله العظيم...الخالق المبدع...فيديو رائع .... شكراً لكم

[@alldemcats]

Yay, glad to know you are doing better Laura.

[@GuagoFruit]

This is the snail equivalent of finishing your spaghetti in the sauce.

[@NimaayVyas]

at 3.03 the way you say Mucus net hahaha makes me think you are hungry too lol

[@identitywithheld2123]

These snails make spiders look like jaguars

[@antoniovlassa5886]

thank you for saying "Every snail for itself" instead of "every snail for itsshellf" I appreciate that

[@lightup6751]

This snail literally is so comfortably lazy it throws out a net from it’s home to eat outdoor food

[@cookiepuka9300]

Question: how do these specific snails reproduce? Other snails can find each other but these snails are sedentary so how do they do it?

[@eugenetswong]

I would also like to know.

[@nuip7936]

broadcast spawning maybe

[@eugenetswong]

@@nuip7936It turns out that the channel found out for us 2 months ago. Browse around on this page until you find it.

[@user-ib6wf5sy4g]

like flowers, or by slime

[@nirmalaappala7360]

Love the effort you put in these vids ❤

[@Jm649]

Wow so cool as always, had no idea these even existed! 🐌I wonder how they mate? 🤔

[@tieuwest]

The beginning music scared the hell out of me =))) The snail is so cute though.

[@bruhbun]

This channel is definitely one of my all time faves. If they did long form content I'd gladly pay more money!

[@calebhellerman2430]

Beautiful! Thanks for taking us into the tide pool.

[@liliana.6053]

First time I've ever seen what a pre-spider's net might have looked like, truly fascinating stuff

[@brewsterbunting7482]

This methodology of feeding is ripe for inspiring a sci-fi horror monster

[@sheikhnazimaziz3771]

Wow, really amazing creature.

[@bialex8083]

Imagine being born as this snail and having to deal with annoying neighbours for the rest of your life, gosh

[@patrickpelletier1862]

“Mmmm…mucus net”, I love your videos folks❤️❤️

[@PeepStarsGo]

very wholesome to see a snail that uses it’s sticky mucus for a more unique approach! 😊

[@HAZe20]

As an introvert I feel for this little fella 😂

[@blockz12]

The sticky trap is almost like a spider web

[@vjthemad4852]

Thank you for the fantastic narration Laura, beautiful voice!

[@dr8121]

That is genius. I wonder if they have any specialist predators?

[@blumac9801]

I've got one of these in my reef tank. Scared me at first but I quickly realized that it was using this mucus to catch food. I'd come back an hour later and the net would be gone, only for it to reappear the next hour.

[@LilDoNFN]

I love this thing

[@jasvinhkumar841]

A sea snail 🐌 which happens to catch its prey in similar manner of land spider 🕷️. Fascinating!

[@fredocricket58]

Me as introvert I see this as a absolute win unfortunately no internet

[@leahbremner8808]

The quality of this video is stunning 😊

[@viiiderekae]

The bane of reefers

[@ChineseCaseoh]

This is 100% my spirit animal

[@manbeard8678]

Amazing video as always. would love to see a video like this made for Arabia's small wildlifes.

[@Brydav_Massbear]

I did not know that such a strange mollusk even existed. But I wonder how they got attached to the rock in the first place?

[@TheGreegles]

They likely have a mobile juvenile form similar to barnacles, life probably gets pretty crowded if they can't move far from their parent.

[@richard1835]

What a beautiful and rich eco system that is. The mystery of life continues.

[@DreamDaddie]

How easy our lives would be just to sit back, cast a net, and catch our food. Think I’ll cast a net for a good corn dog if I had the chance.

[@kinmation]

I think they should call it the spider sea Snail 😂

[@Sjalabais]

Amazing that these slime nets survive the currents of tidal waters. It's a very rough environment +

[@southeastcoastalphotography]

Mucus Net is a decent band name

[@Scourgething]

This guy looked at a barnacle and went "i can do that"

[@KC69423]

That's like fishing with snot from my nose, then sopping it up with my mouth!!

[@Hambonillo]

Glad I saw the part about "love darts" at the end before I fwd'd this to the grandkids. Otherwise, this would have been great to share.

[@chezmoi42]

If your grandkids have slugs or snails in their yard, they surely already know. I know I saw that phenomenon by the time I was in third grade.

[@devaughnt8096]

Wow this has become one of my favorite snail species. I have never heard of this creature and I absolutely love its mucus net. I am a sucker for unique and different creatures

[@undeadladybug7723]

A snail that lives like a tube worm and basically hunts like a spider. And people say the platypus is weird.

[@PunGa-or9sx]

This snail is more valuable than one single human... It is what it is...

[@CMZneu]

There is another snail i think that does something similar but is mobile and lives in the sandy part of beaches filtering the sand with a mucus net when the waves come... can't remember where i read about it

[@GatorLife57]

Love you Laura ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Keep up the great work !

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Thank you so much!!

[@dantran5478]

I love your narrating!

[@residentrump3271]

This groovy gastropod is my spirit animal. I'm a homebody too 👍🏿

[@frostnovawinterscar9924]

Introvert snail that hobby is fishing sounds good for him

[@CynthiaPrice79]

A barnacle, a hermit crab, a spider, and a shrimp all walk into a mad scientist’s lab…

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Ha! We have episodes for each of those!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Barnacles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opfRnHmunJaag9k Hermit Crabs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHTWk4eZotmmpaM Turret Spiders: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5Oom4yro9x1r9k Skeleton Shrimp: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooLXhmh5qpx6etk

[@kimbratton9620]

I love every episode!

[@FusionDeveloper]

When I raised slugs, they would create slime lines to rapel down and climb back up on later. My freshwater snails are doing the same thing in water.

[@phoenixyuma]

This is so fascinating, they are like spiders of the sea! Just- more slimey.

[@YouTubeUzername]

This was fascinating and disgusting at the same time!

[@KQEDDeepLook]

That sums up Deep look in a nutshell. :-)

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Hehe just imagine the mucus is our version of a glass bowl of snacks :p Set it out and we much away!

[@ryanreedgibson]

Such a great channel. Not sure why YT just decided to mention it.

[@alanc6468]

A reef aquarists worst nightmare

[@alexcarter8807]

There are worm snails in Hawaii and you really have to watch out for them, not because they're poisonous or anything but because the opening of their shell is really sharp and if you're walking on the rocks barefoot you can punch a hole in your foot by stepping on one or if you let your feet slide at all, you can get a cut.

[@arstotzkanatthedmz4486]

These are also called vermitid snails in aquariums, they are quite the nuisance for coral tanks because of the mucus nets, and almost as virulent as aptasia

[@MsK4YY]

Thank god that we live in a time where there's no animals big enough to swallow us whole like that.

[@gastropoda_girl]

Thanks for interesting facts about this amazing snails!!!😍❤🐌

[@carlosg7497]

Cool video, and even better music.

[@mahamohammad9671]

I have watched every video you post and love your content❤ You got to do a video on silver gold beetles

[@KQEDDeepLook]

Great suggestion!

[@chilicats]

The radula are always so cool, but kinda like a horror movie torture device. Like a slimy little garbage disposal