Pomacea canaliculata

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Pomacea canaliculata

Five views of a shell of Pomacea

canaliculata, Shell diameter 8 cm

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) [1]

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

(unranked): clade Caenogastropo
da
informal
group Architaenioglo
ssa
 Superfamil Ampullarioidea
y:

Family: Ampullariidae

Genus: Pomacea

Subgenus: Pomacea

Species: Pomacea
canaliculata

(Lamarck, 1819)

Pomacea canaliculata, commonly known as the golden apple snail or the channeled

apple snail, is a species of large freshwater snail with gills and an operculum,
an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails. South
American in origin, this species is considered to be in the top 100 of the "World's
Worst Invasive Alien Species".[2] It is also considered as about the 40th the worst alien
species in Europe and the worst alien species of gastropod in Europe. [3]

Contents

 1Distribution
o 1.1Non-indigenous distribution
 2Shell description
 3Ecology
o 3.1Habitat
o 3.2Feeding habits
o 3.3Life cycle
o 3.4Predators
o 3.5Parasites
o 3.6Control
 4Human use
 5See also
 6References
 7Further reading
 8External links

Distribution[edit]
The native distribution of P. canaliculata is basically tropical and subtropical,
[4]
 including Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil.[5] The southernmost
record for the species is Paso de las Piedras reservoir, south of the Buenos Aires
province, Argentina.[6]

Drawing of the animal and the shell of Pomacea canaliculata

Non-indigenous distribution[edit]
This species also occurs in the United States, where the initial introductions were
probably from aquarium release, aka "aquarium dumping". The non-indigenous
distribution includes: Lake Wawasee in Kosciusko County, Indiana;[7] Langan Park and
Three Mile Creek in Mobile, Alabama;[8][9] a pond bordering the Mobile-Tensaw River
Delta in Baldwin County, Alabama;[9] Little Wekiva River, Orlando, Florida; a lake
near Jacksonville, Florida;[10] Miramar Reservoir in San Diego County, California; and a
pond near Yuma, Arizona. Established populations exist in California and Hawaii. [11]
The species has been found in China since 1981. [12] Its initial point of distribution in
China was Zhongshan city.[13]
The species has been found in Chile since 2009 with a restricted distribution. [14]

Shell description[edit]
The shells of these applesnails are globular in shape. Normal coloration typically
includes bands of brown, black, and yellowish-tan; color patterns are extremely
variable. Albino and gold color variations exist.[15][11]
The size of the shell is up to 150  mm in length.[11]

Ecology[edit]
Habitat[edit]
Pomacea canaliculata egg masses are typically laid on emergent vegetation over freshwater bodies of water.

This species lives in freshwater lake, river, pond and swamp habitats and tolerates a
wide range of temperatures.[16] In natural settings, they rely on grasses and other
emergent vegetation growing along the perimeter of bodies of water to lay their eggs.
Where invasive, can utilize crops such as rice and taro as a substrate for reproduction. [17]

This section needs expansion. You

can help by adding to it. (December
2009)

Feeding habits[edit]
Pomacea canaliculata is extremely polyphagous, feeding on vegetal (primarily
macrophytophagous, feeding on floating or submersed higher plants), detrital, and
animal matter. Diet may vary with age, with younger smaller individuals feeding on
algae and detritus, and older, bigger (15mm and above) individuals later shifting to
higher plants.[18]
This species negatively impacts rice and taro agriculture worldwide where it has been
introduced.[11]
Life cycle[edit]

The egg masses of Pomacea canaliculata are a bright pink or orange in color

Eggs of Pomacea canaliculata, scale bar in cm.

In temperate climates, the egg-laying period of this species extends from early spring to
early fall.[19] while in tropical areas reproduction is continuous. The duration of the
reproductive period of P. canaliculata decreases with latitude, to a minimum of six
months in the southern limit of its natural distribution. [6] Adult females oviposit on
emergent vegetation at night, but will also lay their eggs on rocks and manmade
surfaces like boats. Once laid, the eggs take approximately two weeks to hatch, during
which time the bright pink or orange coloration of the eggs fades. [20]
First direct evidence (of all animals), that proteinase inhibitor from eggs of Pomacea
canaliculata interacts as trypsin inhibitor with protease of potential predators, has been
reported in 2010.[21]
Predators[edit]
The snail kite, Rostrhamus sociabilis, is a predator of this species in South America.
The fire ant, Solenopsis geminata, has also been observed to prey upon this species. [22]
Parasites[edit]
Approximately 1% of the Pomacea canaliculata on sale on local markets in Dali City,
Yunnan, China were found to be infected with pathogenic Angiostrongylus
cantonensis in 2009.[23]
Control[edit]
Crude cyclotide extracts from both Oldenlandia affinis and Viola odorata plants showed
molluscicidal activity comparable to the synthetic molluscicide metaldehyde.[24] Because
submerging developing eggs below the water reduces hatching success, manipulating
the water level in agricultural fields and dammed reservoirs may provide a tool for
controlling invasive populations.[20]