What are my nassarius snails doing?

[MikeDeL]

So I hear a bunch of tapping on the glass so I go check it out. I had 5 nassarius and a blue leg hermit going at it. The snails where swinging their shells around like clubs, and the hermit was overwhelmed and was fighting back. I reached in and pulled the hermit out of the mess, thinking he was trying to get a new shell and picked on a snail too big for him. After I moved the crab to the other side of the tank, though, the snails were still going at it. Swinging shells and crawling all over each other. Are they fighting, and the hermit got caught up in the middle of it, or are they spawning? Here is a picture of 2 of the snails.
http://www.aquaticphotos.com/data/media/16/MVC-015F.JPG


Thanks,
Mike

[mathias]

hmmm what type of tank are you running over there..... is that legal?

[MikeDeL]

Ya'll havent heard?? Snail fighting is the biggest money maker in the underground gambling market.
Really though, I wonder if they were just spawning. Anyone ever see them spawn before?


Thanks,
Mike

[Instar]

They deposit clear eggs on a solid surface. This is more likely a behavior to keep the other snail(s) off them or out of their place. Most snails do not like to have a hitch hiker on them looking for a free ride and swing their shells to either discourage the other one of flip them off their back. Extra weight to carry means eating double the food for the energy so they swing dance to get rid of the other snail.