Egg Chain?

[malacophile]

I read someplace that slugs and snails don't lay their eggs in chains, and until now, I've found that to be true. However, it seems that someone didn't get the memo. I found a perfectly-formed chain of eggs when I was digging around in one of my slug/snail tubs.

I'm certain that they must be from either D. reticulatum or L. valentiana, since the snails I have in there lay cream-colored eggs. The chain itself is about an 1.5 inches (3.8cm) long, and each individual egg is connected by a thin, gelatinous string that breaks easily. Has anyone else ever seen anything like this?

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[pinkunicorn]

I've seen this a few times from D.invadens. Sometimes the eggs have been fused together completely. Unsure if babies hatched of those, I did not separate them from the other eggs.

That looks just like what I know to be D.invadens eggs btw, so my guess is D.reticulatum eggs. The two species are very similar, only mating and genitals differ.

[malacophile]

I see. Thanks!

[pinkunicorn]

Have you seen swollen, extruded mouths in your slugs btw? I've had lots of such slug deaths and have also seen it in one wild baby I encountered, so I was wondering if slugs are prone to it. I posted some pics in the diseases subforum, gut extrusion topic for reference and notekeeping.

[malacophile]

Not swollen mouths per se, but I did have a young Deroceras with a gut extrustion coming from his mouth day before yesterday. I euthanized him in the freezer since he seemed to be in pain. First time I've encountered it, and I never want to see it again.

[pinkunicorn]

Limax cinereoniger eggs seem to be in an egg chain, I've just now observed. They can be... pulled out, lol. I was moving the pile a bit and noticed this. (Picture in my photo topic)

[malacophile]

Within the last four days, I've had to put down two more Deroceras with gut extrusions. I found another already dead of an extrusion in the water dish, and another, also with an extrusion, partially eaten. Every one has been a Deroceras, and all of them seemed to be not fully grown. I've not seen this at all in my Lehmannia valentiana slugs, nor in any of my snails. It seems as though Deroceras are particularly prone to it.

What I'm wondering about, is why the sudden rash of these gruesome deaths? I swear, it's like something out of a horror movie.

[pinkunicorn]

That sounds just like my experiences with gut extrusion. Some only have a swollen mouth but I think it's a lesser form of the same gut extrusion. Often it's young ones that go; the wild slug I saw was a little babe. And sometimes lots of slugs in one go.

I've thought of possible causes such as food and nematodes, and try to sterilise the soil often (except right now as I got a TON of eeeeeeeeeeggs waiting to hatch into mini-Derocerases). I've not had cases recently but also my entire population has renewed itself, some being offspring hatched late autumn and most being recent adoptees. A genetic flaw appearing now and then in lineage is another possible cause.