GASTROPODA

ECOLOGY BACKYARD PROJECT

Lecturer: Dr. Roberts

 Gastropoda

What is a Gastropoda?
-Gastropoda are commonly known as slugs or snails.

-They belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates

within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda.

-They are by far the largest group of molluscs, with more

than 62,000 described living species, and they comprise
about 80% of living molluscs.
 Gastropoda

Life History and Ecology

-Gastropods live in every conceivable habitat on Earth. They occupy all marine habitats
ranging from the deepest ocean basins to freshwater habitats, and other inland aquatic
habitats including salt lakes.

-They are also the only terrestrial molluscs, being found in

virtually all habitats ranging from high mountains to deserts
and rainforest, and from the tropics to high latitudes
Giant African Snail
Achatina fulica
 Giant African Snail

THE EXOTIC SPECIES

The Giant African Snail is not a native species to Trinidad

and Tobago but however, orginated from Africa, hence, its
name. The snail did not migrate to Trinidad or other parts
of the world, it was either smuggled into countries, or
brought into countries from fruit and vegetables that were
exported. This snail is a invasive species and is quite
harmful to the human populatation
 Giant African Snail

Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom- Metazoa
Phylum- Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order- Stylommatophora
Family:Achatinidae
Genus- Achatina
Species-Achatina fulica
 Giant African Snail

Physical Characteristics
-The Giant African Snail can grow up to 7.8 inches in length and 2.7-3.9 inches in height. An
adult can weigh up to 32grams
-Adult shells are brownish with darker brown
lengthwise weak yellow vertical stripes, have seven to
nine whorls including a swollen long body whorl, and
cover at least half the length of the snail.
-The color of the snail depends on the environment it
lives in
 Giant African Snail Growth rate
The snails displayed a sigmoid growth pattern,
with growth slowing down after 8 months of life.
Population Characteristics In the first 8 months, the mean daily growth rates
in the four subspecies showed a range of 0.21-
0.25 mm/day, while between 8 - 12 months the
The population Size
range was 0.11-0.13 mm/day. However thy are
-On average the Giant African Snail as a lifespan of 5-6
considered invasive ouside their native rage
years but are known to live up to 9 years, with
predators and unfavourable living conditions being the
main causes of mortality. They have a very huge
population because they are known as invasive
Reproduction RATE
-At earliest maturity may lay only 10 eggs per batch.
-At full maturity typically lay 200 eggs per batch.
-In ideal climates, lay 5-6 batches per year, therefore
(Credit: Kay M. Briggs, USGS. Public domain.)
1000-1200 eggs per year!
ThumbnailMediumOriginal
 Giant African Snail

local habitat and global range

The giant African snail commonly is found in warm,

humid climates. They can be found in coastal areas, shrub
lands, plantation habitats and forests, in the Caribbean,
Asia, Africa and the USA

Preferred Abiotic Conditions

the snail keeps to the hot lowlands and the warm temperate
lower slopes of the mountains. It needs temperatures well
above freezing year round, and high humidity at least during
part of the year
 Giant African Snail

FOOD WEB
snakes
hawks

rat CATERPILLARS cannibal snails

giant African snail

Cumumbers cabbage
 Giant African Snail

symbiotic relationships

parasitism commensalism
The Giant African snail is a harmful organism , When the Giant African Snail dies its
it is a vector for lungworms and is harmful to content or carcass is recycled back into
humans, once the human touches this snail they the environment benefitting vegetation
can get meningitis and die by providing them with nutritents
 Giant African Snail

Commensalism- Dead snails from Parasitism- Invasive

my kitchen garden recycled back snails carrier of lungworm
into the environment to nourish
plants
 Competition and Herbivory

An example of competition and herbivory is the Giant

African Snail is consumes farmers' crops and ruin their
vegeation, recnetly these organisms has eaten and destroyed
a lot of planter's crops.
 Giant African Snail

Anthropogenic threats or risks or any

other human-related point of interest

As mentioned, the Giant African Snail is an invasive

species because they are a huge threat to our crops
therefore humans try to kill these organisms on sight. The
African snails also are a carrier of a harmful disease that is
caused by lungworms call meningitis that can kill people.
 References
-Malik, A. A., A. Aremu, G. B. Bayode, and B. A. Ibrahim. "A nutritional and organoleptic assessment
of the meat of the giant African land snail (Archachatina maginata swaison) compared to the meat of
other livestock." Livestock Research for Rural Development 23,03,2011 no.
https://lrrd.cipav.org.co/lrrd23/3/mali23060.htm
Patiño-Montoya, Angie, Sebastián Giraldo-Ocampo, and Alan Giraldo. "Perception of giant African snail
(Achatina fulica) in urban community from Colombia." Revista Facultad Nacional de Agronomía
Medellín 72, no. 1 (2019): 8717-8727.
Harvard http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0304-28472019000108717

Roda, Amy, Gösta Nachman, Scott Weihman, Mary Yong Cong, and Fredrick Zimmerman.
"Reproductive ecology of the giant African snail in south Florida: implications for eradication
programs." PLoS One November 18, 2016
, no. 11 (2016): e0165408.
Harvard https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0165408
Giant South American Snail

Megalobulimus
Oblongus
 Giant South American Snail

Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom- Metazoa
Phylum- Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order- Stylommatophora
Family:Stropocheiloidae
Genus- Megalobulimus
Species-Megalobulimus
Oblongus
 Giant South American Snail

Physical Characteristics
-The giant South American (SA) snail can grow up to between 70 and 137 millimetres long (shell).
-The body is different from Achatininae snails, Giant SA snails have more gelatinous bodies and
are flatter. They also produce less mucous, leading to less
suction. (Muller, petsnails.co.uk)
-Adult shells vary from pale pink to cream and light
brown.They have four whorls, with the second largest
having a bulge that helps in identification the whole
shell covers almost all of the snail's posterior.
-- The snails also have huge mouths and 2 flaps with a
row of fonds that move independently.
 Giant South American Snail

Wait... A FOOD?!?!!?!

Megalobulimus Oblongus is widely distributed in South America to the east of the

Andes and also found naturally in Trinidad and Tobago. However, it was also introduced
as a food source in other islands such as:
Jamaica,
Antigua,
St. Kitts,
And other islands.
They are herbivorous and considered
invasive in North America
 Growth rate
Giant South American Snail
The snails have a sigmoid growth pattern, with
growth plateauing after 32 months when they
Population Characteristics mature and have a fully formed shell lip.
When they reach their full size, their shell
continues to thicken with age and they appear
The population Size
-On average the Giant SA Snail as a lifespan of 10 years years but white due to losing their brown periostacal
covering (Deisler and Stange)
are known to live up to 14+ years, with predators and unfavourable
living conditions being the main causes of mortality.

Reproduction
-At maturity the snails may lay 2-6 eggs per batch. The eggs are the
largest of any local snails: 28-30 mm.
-Their reproduction can be described as r selected as they invest minimal
energy in reproduction and care for young.
- In fact, this gives them a Type II survivorship curve because while
predators are a persistent threat, newly hatched snails are the easiest to
capture
(Credit: u/Simple_Emphasis, Reddit. Public domain.)
 Life Cycle

Mating Pre-laying

Adult Snail

Day old hatchling 3 cm egg

 Giant South American Snail
local habitat and global range

The giant SA snail commonly is found in cool, humid

climates. They can be found in gardens, moist soil,
humus piles, and shady parts of forests, in the Caribbean
and the South American Continent

Preferred Abiotic Conditions

The snail favors cool conditions (20-26 degrees celsius) and will
burrow during the day or unfavorable conditions, emerging at
night to feed and mate. It needs temperatures well above freezing
year round, and high humidity to avoid dessication
 Giant South American Snail

FOOD WEB
snakes

Humans Frogs HOok-Billed Kite

giant S. A. snail

Plants and Fruit Leaf Litter

 Giant South American Snail

symbiotic relationships

parasitism commensalism
The giant S.A, snail can become host to Scarab beetles feed on the mucous of
a number of small parasites, usually the snails and the larvae of these beetles
worms. feed on the faeces. Up to 12 beetles
have been found within a single shell.
Predation
According to Deisler and Stange, the
snail is a major prey item for many
small carnivores.
Pomacea Urceus
What is the Pomacea Urceus?

Pomacea Urceus is an
amphibious, herbivorous,
dioecious, edible, tropical-
subtropical freshwater
gastropod. It has a black to
dark brown spherical shell.

common "Black Conch"

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Architaenioglossa
Family: Ampullariidae
Genus: Pomacea
Species: Pomacea urceus
 Distribution
Trinidad
Venezuela
Guyana
Brazil
Colombia.
They can also be found in parts of South America
 Physical and population characteristics

Spherical, horn shaped shell

Blackish colour with lined grovings
Typical adult conch can be 135mm in
height and 125mm in width
Lifespan of about 2-4 years
Baby conchs are normally washed away from
the mother so generally their populations
density is generally low
 Reproductive characteristics
Spawning occurs in low water levels
Females lay approximately 55 eggs per clutch
They go through an incubation period where the
female conch burrows into the soil and enter a
state of dormancy until the eggs have hatched
Egg mortality ranged from 16% to 100% due to
predation by dipteran larvae.
 Abiotic requirements
The abiotic requirements for the Pomacea
Urceus are quite simple.

dim, tranquil, shallow waters

low salinity of approximately 0.012ppt
The water must be below 41 degrees Celsius
Pomacea Urceus favor burying themselves in mud, so
their habitat must have sediment.
Biotic interactions
Despite its strong exoskeleton, being a small herbivorous creature,
Pomacea Urceus are preyed on by many predators like:
hawks
ocelots
humans.
Diptera larvae are also predators to the eggs of these gastropods.
Because the Black Conchs has such a limited diet of only riparian
vegetation, competition with their food source can occur.
This image shows the location of
eggs for the Pomacea Urceus

Image showing Diptera Larvea

 Hawk Ocelot
Human

diptera larve Pomacea Urceus

Local Food Chain Dasheen Bush

Anthropogenic and natural threats and risks

The black conch has been over

exploited by humans for their high
demanding source of meat.
They are quite costly so people hunt
them to gain a quick income.
They are considered pest by farmers
for they tend to destroy riparian
Lambie
crops like dasheen bhagie, leading to
the removal of their presence.
Symbiotic relationship
Parasitism
My organism and I
 References
1. Ampullarioidea S. Pomacea urceus (Freshwater Conch or Black Conch). Uwi.edu.
[accessed 2021 Jul 8].
https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/
Pomacea_urceus%20-%20Freshwater%20Conch%20or%20Black%20Conch.pdf

2. Visit profile. The Black River Conchs Lime. Blogspot.com. 2017 [accessed 2021 Jul
8]. http://triniriverlime.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-black-river-conchs-lime.html

3. Ecological Risk Screening Summary. Pomacea urceus (a snail, no common

name). Fws.gov. [accessed 2021 Jul 8].
https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ans/erss/uncertainrisk/ERSS-Pomacea-urceus-FINAL-
August2018.pdf
4. Ramnarine IW. Induction of spawning and artificial incubation of eggs in the edible
snail Pomacea urceus (Muller). Aquaculture (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 2003;215(1–
4):163–166.
Ovachlamys fulgens-

Orchid/Jumping snil

(Invasive species)
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order:Stylommatophora
Family: Helicarionidae
Genus: Ovachiamys
Species: O.fulgens
Physical Characteristics
Ovachlamys fulgens has a thin, brown,
transparent shell that measures 6-7mm
in width
and with a height of 4.5mm.
Four whorls on the shells increase in
size with the last whorl being twice the
width of the
penultimate whorl.
Possesses a caudal horn which it uses
to “jump” to get away from predators or
to move
quickly if disturbed.
Population Characteristics
● Reaches maturity within 42 days.
● Deposits a litter of up to 3 eggs.
● Being hermaphrodites they do not require
cross-fertilization and therefore can lay their
own eggs Through self insemination.
● Eggs can be deposited on an almost daily
basis.
● Eggs hatch after up to 10 days.
● Reproduction is known to take place in the
rainy season.
● Population size is largest during the rainy
season
Local Habitat
Originated in Japan and migrated to
places like the U.S.A, Costa Rica,
Colombia, and
Trinidad and Tobago.
Found in areas where there is a lot
of moisture and herbaceous
vegetation,
Generally found among soil litter
and on the leaves of plants
Preferred Abiotic Conditions
Thrives in areas where the temperature ranges
from 20-27.6 degrees celsius.
More active during the later hours of the day.
Prefers moisture and therefore during the dry
season is not that active.
Biotic Interactions /Lifestyle Characteristics
O.fulgens has a variety of predators inclusive of mice,
squirrels, salamanders, toads,
turtles, and birds. below are two possible food webs:
 Symbiotic Relationships
A parasitic relationship with Ovachlamys fulgens
is that they are the intermediate host of
a nematode.The organism develops inside of the
snail but doesn't reach maturity in the snail .
 Other relationships
The Ovachlamys fulgens prey on crops with a specific
attraction to heliconia, Dracaena,
Mangoes and orchids (pictured left to right)
Anthropogenic threats or risks or any
other human-related point of interest
about the organism
They are the intermediate host of the parasite
Angiostrongylus which upon reaching maturity
can be harmful to humans by causing eosinophilic
meningitis
Creative Personal Element
 References
Ovachlamys fulgens (Gude, 1900) “Jumping Snail.” Jaxshells.org. [accessed 2021 Jun 24].
http://www.jaxshells.org/gude2.htm

Stange LA. Snails and Slugs of Regulatory Significance to Florida. 2004.

Barrientos Z. Population dynamics and spatial distribution of the terrestrial snail Ovachlamys fulgens
(Stylommatophora: Helicarionidae) in a tropical environment. Revista de biologia tropical. 2000 [accessed 2021 Jun
24];48(1):71–87.

Researchgate.net. [accessed 2021 Jun 24].

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320629338_First_record_of_the_Japanese_land_snail_Ovachlamys_fulgens_G
ude_1900_Gastropoda_Helicarionidae_in_Brazil

Grant BL. Heliconia disease guide – Heliconia plant diseases and treatment. Gardeningknowhow.com. 2020 Jul 15
[accessed 2021 Jun 24]. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lobster-claw-plant/diseases-of-
heliconia-plants.htm
 Gardens4you. Gardens4you.EU. [accessed 2021 Jun 24]. https://www.gardens4you.eu/dracaena-
fragrans-yellow-coast-eu-en.html

CDC-Centers for Disease Control, Prevention. CDC - Angiostrongylus - general information - frequently
asked questions (FAQs). 2010 [accessed 2021 Jun 24].
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/angiostrongylus/gen_info/faqs.html

Hollingsworth RG, Sewake KT. The orchid snail is a pest of orchids in Hawaii. Hawaii.edu. [accessed 2021
Jul 1]. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/MP-1.pd

New GCSE separate sciences OCR gateway SB - page 74. Collins.co.uk. [accessed 2021 Jul 8].
https://connect.collins.co.uk/repo1/Content/Live/Infuze/COL/GCSE_Science_Separate_SB_OCR_Gateway/
content/Page74.html
 Oak Tree starts A food web. Goconqr.com. [accessed 2021 Jul 8].
https://www.goconqr.com/en/p/6869398?
frame=true&no_cache=true&delay_session_init=true&course=true&course_module_id=11046

Grant BL. Heliconia disease guide – Heliconia plant diseases and treatment.
Gardeningknowhow.com. 2020 Jul 15 [accessed 2021 Jul 8].
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lobster-claw-plant/diseases-of-
heliconia-plants.htm

Teixeira L, Cunha CM, Bornschein MR. First record of the Japanese land snail Ovachlamys
fulgens (Gude, 1900) (Gastropoda, Helicarionidae) in Brazil. Check list (Luis Felipe Toledo).
2017;13(5):703–706.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Any Questions?
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