No, a saltwater snail generally cannot live in freshwater.
Saltwater snails are adapted to a marine environment, which includes a specific salinity (salt concentration). Their bodies have mechanisms to regulate the salt and water balance within their cells, a process called osmoregulation. Freshwater has a much lower salt concentration than the internal fluids of a saltwater snail.
If a saltwater snail is placed in freshwater, water will rush into its cells to try and equalize the salt concentration. This can cause the cells to swell and eventually burst, leading to the snail's death. While some snails can tolerate brackish water (a mix of fresh and salt water), a complete transition to freshwater is usually fatal for true saltwater species.
There are some exceptions: certain species of snails can tolerate a wide range of salinity. However, these are usually specifically adapted brackish water species, not true saltwater snails. Moreover, freshwater snails exist and thrive in entirely freshwater environments. These species have evolved adaptations that make saltwater uninhabitable for them.
In summary:
- Saltwater snails: Adapted to high salinity; cannot survive in freshwater.
- Freshwater snails: Adapted to low salinity; cannot survive in saltwater.
- Brackish water snails: Can tolerate a range of salinity between freshwater and saltwater, but typically not extremes of either.
