Chinese Mystery Snail

Fascinating facts about the Chinese Mystery Snail

• At just over two and a half inches tall, the Chinese mystery snail can grow to a shell height of 65 mm, with the biggest individuals reaching 60 mm (2.4 in) high and 40 mm (1.6 in) wide. Its shell spirals through six to seven whorls, giving it a noticeably globose shape compared with many slimmer freshwater snails.
• The snail first slipped into North America in the late 1800s, sold in San Francisco Chinese food markets, and was collected as early as 1914 in Boston. It likely escaped an aquarium into the Niagara River between 1931 and 1942, marking the first Great Lakes record. By the late 1970s it had reached Oneida Lake (1977-1978) and Lake Champlain by 2003.
• Across Europe the snail has leapt from a single Dutch floodplain lake in 2007 to 23 populations in the Netherlands by 2022, with 12 Dutch populations recorded in 2016 and a rapid expansion into Belgium (three new sites by 2022) and Spain (2020) and Germany (2021). Its spread prompted the EU to list it as an invasive alien species of Union concern, banning import, breeding, transport, commercialisation, and intentional release, a legal shield aimed at halting further jumps.
• Females live up to five years, two years longer than males, which usually reach three years and occasionally four, and can produce more than 169 offspring over their lifetime, with a single brood sometimes containing up to 102 young. Embryos develop from May to August, and hatchlings emerge from June through October, after which mothers migrate to deeper water for winter.
• The snail thrives in a wide chemical envelope: water pH from 6.5 to 8.4, calcium 5-97 ppm, magnesium 13-31 ppm, oxygen 7-11 ppm, sodium 2-49 ppm, and conductivity 63-400 μmhos/cm, at depths of 0.2-7 m. Its optimal growth temperature sits between 20 °C and 28 °C, yet it can hibernate when water falls below 10-15 °C or rises above 30 °C. Such flexibility lets it colonise everything from stagnant septic ponds to temperate lakes.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Chinese Mystery Snail

In the tranquil depths of freshwater lakes and rivers, the Chinese Mystery Snail glides effortlessly, its shell a swirling vortex of earthy hues that blend seamlessly with the surrounding environment. As it moves, the snail leaves behind a trail of silvery slime, a glistening pathway that testifies to its gentle yet relentless pursuit of aquatic delights. With its enigmatic beauty and intriguing habits, this elusive creature remains a captivating enigma, a secret keeper of the underwater world.

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