Japanese Live Fish
Most freshwater snails are hermaphroditic; that is to say, each individual snail has both male and female reproductive organs, and they can also fertilize their own eggs. This sexual independence does not stop two snails from acting as male and female together, as well. The few exceptions to the rule are the dioecious (either male or female) types that belong to the genus Viviparus. The Japanese snail is that type of snail in which reproduction requires the participation of a male and female of the species. This does not mean that if you have kept a female Japanese snail alone for several months she cannot have a brood. Quite to the contrary. The Japanese snail is purported to have only one fertilization a lifetime. This fertilization must take care of the entire mass of unfertilized eggs contained in the body of the female. The eggs are hatched in a space under the shell of the female, where they remain until they emerge as fully recognizable snails.
