The rotund mysterysnail. It’s rotund. It’s unequivocally a snail. But what could possibly be so mysterious to warrant the name ‘mysterysnail’? What are you hiding, Viviparus intertextus? Most species of the family Viviparidae lack common names, unlike the rotund mysterysnail and (lest we forget) globose mysterysnail. The origin of ‘mysterysnail’ (and seemingly most viviparid vernaculars) appears to trace back to when these snails found their way into aquaria. As indicated by the taxonomic titles, viviparid snails are ovoviviparous and allow internal gestation of hatched young. Though unusual among gastropods, this reproductive strategy provides offspring with the additional time to develop shells before birth. The first aquarists to introduce these species to their aquariums apparently had no clue, as according to Minnesota DNR, the name was coined after miniature but strangely mature snails kept ‘mysteriously’ appearing.
Interestingly, viviparids share their ‘mystery’ with some ampullariid snails like Pomacea bridgesii. Several of these species are popular among aquarists and are commonly known as mystery snails, among other names. But the name doesn’t appear to have any relation to reproduction. Anecdotally, these ampullariids were a mystery simply because nobody knew what they actually were.
Esme Creed-Miles was born England and began her acting career as little Shirley Temple in the film Mister Lonely (2007) directed by Harmony Korine. Her next film appearance came ten years later when she was cast in Clio Barnard’s Dark River. In an interview she said that she had auditioned for roles in several independent films before she was chosen to star as the titular character in Hanna. According to the actress she trained in martial arts six hours a day for months as preparation for her fight scenes in the series
She valued how her role as Hanna enabled her to challenge societal norms about gender and sexuality. She has received positive reviews for her work in the series. The Atlantic noted that she is “imbuing the character with emotional vulnerability and physical power. Even more striking is how she communicates Hanna’s intelligence, how fleet and observant and hyperalert she is”. She is also a musician. She plays the lead in the 2019 films Pond Life and Undercliffe produced by Open Palm Films.
