Critters at work!

    Well, folks, you know it has been raining a lot when snails seek refuge on the pier.  While it is a common sight to see the snails on pier posts, it is rare to find them on the pier planks unless something has dropped them there.  Nope.  This morning, snails were taking a stroll on the pier.  I had to be careful not to step on them as these are helpful critters.  I sure do not want to smash any critter that is going to do me a favor.

  The olive nerites are sweet little snails that feed on algae.  They are found all over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean more often in brackish waters like that of the Bayou. They are also popular aquarium critters but will not reproduce in the fresh water.  The snails have a marine larval stage so make use of the brackish water.  Usually, they can be found on anything that stays in the water long enough to get a slight coating of algae.  The lower part of the marsh grass is covered with the critters as they clean the roots and stalks.  To find them on the upper planks makes me think that the copious rains actually encouraged some type of algae growth on the planks.  The snails were merely there to do me the favor of cleaning the boards so I would not slip!  (At least, that is MY story!)

  Hopefully, we shall have a few days to dry out before the next round of bad weather sets in over the Bayou.  Getting any outside chores accomplished has been nigh on impossible and it shows.  Time to get it in high gear for the next few days.  Stay dry, folks, and appreciate the algae eating snails!

Janitors of the mudflats!

  This afternoon, Mr. PJ and I made our way to the pier.  When we reached the spot where low tide creates massive mudflats, an unusual mass exodus was taking place.  Thousands upon thousands of nerite snails were slowly making their way from the water to the mudflats.  These usually cling to the pier posts, crab pots and boats and are not often found heading inshore.  At first this concerned me a bit as thoughts entered my head of the (not too long ago) oil spills that sent every critter into a bit of "getaway" frenzy.  What was up with this long trek for the tiny snails??

  As the old dog and I sat watching the snails (well, he napped, I watched), an answer to my question came to focus.  The snails were not actually going inshore but rather stopping on the mudflats due to their favorite food source was plentiful.  These snails feed on algae and even during high tide (when the flats are flooded) this secluded area is covered with algae.  Since the marsh grass has completely cut off the access route from the Bay, the small cut is dependent on water seeping through the marsh to fill it.  There is no tidal flow to clear out any algae growth so the spot has become completely clogged with the green blob. The bright sunshine has caused the stuff to flourish.

  The small nerites have come to feast upon their favorite food.  Word has gotten out that the "salad bar" of the mudflats is now open! Life on the flats is now dominated by nerites and fiddler crabs as nothing else can survive the clogged waterway.  Before this week, bull minnows, mosquito fish and mullet all sought refuge in the shallows and safety provided by the tide pool.  I could catch bait here with one throw of the net.  Not any more! My last throw caught me about thirty pounds of green slime!  Ok, little snails, feast away!  Eat that gunk out of the pool so the fish can breathe once again!  Do your cleanup job!  Ha!  Nerites...the janitors of the mudflats!  What an important job they have!

The Shell Game

  Mark and I were taking our morning hike when, as usual, we wound up on the pier.  The north wind had pushed the water out of the Bay leaving a good stretch of mudflats behind.  Even though this is bad for fishing, I still like the looks of the Bay when the tide is extremely low.  It allows me to see what is hidden under all of that murky water during higher tides.  This morning, I checked out the driftwood pieces that were full of barnacles, tin cans tossed out by non-thinking folks and shells left by the otters.  Under the pier were a number of clam shells that had already been raided by the otters.  Those critters are adept at opening the shells and making dinner of the fat clams.   Using the boat hook,  I fished out one unusually large clam shell. This one was still hinged and quite lovely actually.  After examining the shell, I decided to photograph it before returning it to the water.

  Although the clam shell had been robbed of its original occupant, it was still not empty.  A host of Olive Nerites decided to move in and call it home.  These snails have a tendency to cling to just about anything that stays in the water for a few minutes.  They are the algae eaters of the Bayou!  Six nice size snails had formed a community in the vacant shell.  I thought of how strange it was that now the snails were "double-shelled".  Then another bit of weirdness came to view.  Not only were the snails claiming the clam shell but a barnacle was along for the ride. On the back of one of the Nerites, a barnacle had attached itself.  Now that was funny!  In one empty clam shell we have six Olive Nerites and one barnacle.  What a happy home!  And what a great repurposing trick!

  After photographing the shell game, I carefully returned the whole kit and kaboodle to the water.  These guys could remain in their new-found home.  Have fun little snails....errr....and little barnacle!

The Art Business is Moving at a Snail's Pace!

I am in the wrong business!   I should definitely give up this "starving artist" gig and do something a bit more lucrative!  This occurred to me while I was sitting on the pier catching catfish.  I was wasting away a perfect afternoon and had no desires to head back to the house or gardens.  Catfish were good!  They are one of those fish that we do not eat so lucky for them, it is catch and release..most of the time!  If needed as bait for the crab traps, a few are kept.  This afternoon, though, things were A-OK and the catfish were tossed back in the murky water.  Just between you and me..I would have most likely released all of these as they were very full of eggs.  I figure that the more I toss back when they are in this condition, the more I can catch at a later date!  Even though, we do not eat them, they are still fun to catch.  But..back to my lamenting about the lack of business in the art world.  As I sat there on the pier, I noticed a billion and one (or so it seemed) small snails clinging to the pier posts.

These snails are Olive Nerites or Olive Snails.  The Nerites are small snails in the Neritidae Family. They are in great abundance each year and will cling to anything that is in the water more than five minutes!  Each time I pull up the crab traps, you can hear the steady clicking of their shells as they drop from the wire and hit the boards.  They, then, move at a snail's pace (hehe pun intended!) across the plank before dropping back into the water.  After spying the snails, I came up to the house and did a bit of research.  THOSE snails are expensive!!!  I am supposing that they are popular in saltwater aquariums or something since I cannot see spending big dollars for a snail for any other reason.  After reading, I found that they are desirable as aquarium creatures since they eat tons of algae!  Aha!  These critters eat the slime that messes up the fish tank!  Yeah, I can see why that might be worth the hefty price!  When pricing the mollusks, the cheapest ones I found went for two dollars!  Others were "on sale" at two for seven dollars!  Can you imagine some tiny thing about the size of a pea costing so incredibly much?????  I must say that I am impressed!  I have celebrity snails!

Now comes the kicker! There are millions of these critters on the posts!   If I could only find a buyer for my multitudes of mollusks, I would be rich beyond my wildest dreams!  There would be no more waiting months and months between someone expressing an interest in an art piece!  Another plus..I could spend all my time down on the pier and call it work!  Now..that is what I call a job!  Aha!! Chief Snail Collector..a very important title for this very important job!  Now if I could just find a buyer for my snails!  Hmmmmm??