Ampullariidae
Encyclopedia
Ampullariidae, common name
the apple snail
s, is a family
of large freshwater snail
s, aquatic
gastropod mollusks with a gill
and an operculum
. This family is in the superfamily Ampullarioidea
and is the type family of that superfamily.
The Ampullariidae are unusual because they have both a gill
and a lung
, the mantle
cavity being divided in order to separate the two types of respiratory structures. This adaptation allows these snails to be amphibious.
), that used classification by Berthold (1991):
n origin. The diversification of Ampullariidae started probably after the separation of African Plate
and South American Plate
. The oldest known ampullariids from Africa and Asia are 160 millions years old. The oldest known ampullariids from America are 50 millions years old. The sister group of Ampullariidae has not been clearly identified yet.
A cladogram
showing phylogenic relations of only 6 genera of Ampullariidae by Jørgensen et al. (2008):
There are nine extant genera in the family Ampullariidae:
Ampullariinae
Afropominae
subfamily ?
genera (native to South America, Central America, the West Indies and the Southern U.S.A.). The genera Afropomus, Lanistes, and Saulea are found in Africa. The genus Pila is native to both Africa and Asia.
regions characterized by periods of drought alternating with periods of high rainfall. This adaptation is reflected in their life style; they are moderately amphibious. They have an operculum
which enables the snail to seal the shell entrance to prevent drying out while they are buried in the mud during dry periods.
One of the more typical adaptations of apple snails is the branchial respiration
. The snail has a system comparable to the gill
s of a fish (at the right side of the snail body) to breathe under water as well as a lung
(at the left side of the body) to respirate air. This lung/gill combination expands the action radius of the snail in search for food. It is part of the snail's natural behaviour to leave the water when the food supply below the surface becomes inadequate.
Several apple snail genera (Pomacea, Pila and Asolene/Pomella) deposit eggs
above the waterline in calcareous clutches. This remarkable strategy of aquatic snails protects the eggs against predation
by fish and other aquatic inhabitants. Another anti-predator adaptation in the apple snail genera Pomacea and Pila, is the tubular siphon
, used to breathe air while submerged, reducing vulnerability to attacking birds.
The apple snail's usual enemies are the birds Limpkin
and Snail Kite
.
Apple snails inhabit various ecosystem
s: ponds, swamps and rivers. Although they occasionally leave the water, they spend most of their time under water. Unlike the pulmonate snail families, apple snails are not hermaphroditic
, but gonochoristic; i.e. they have separate genders.
Apple snails are popular aquarium
pets because of their attractive appearance and size. When properly cared for, some apple snail species can reach 15 cm (5.9 in) diameter. Apple snails include species that are the biggest living freshwater snails on Earth.
The most common apple snail in aquarium shops is Pomacea bridgesii
, also called Pomacea diffusa, (the spike-topped apple snail). This species comes in different colours from brown to albino or yellow and even blue, purple, pink, and jade, with or without banding. Another common apple snail is Pomacea canaliculata
; this snail is bigger, rounder and is more likely to eat aquatic plants, which makes it less suitable for most aquaria. This species can also have different shell and body colours. The "giant ramshorn snail" (Marisa cornuarietis
) although not always recognized as an apple snail due to its discoidal shape, is also a popular aquatic pet. Occasionally, the Florida apple snail (Pomacea paludosa
) is found in the aquarium trade and these are often collected in the wild from ditches and ponds in Florida. The giant Pomacea maculata is rarely used as an aquarium species.
Apple snails are often sold under the name "golden (ivory, blue, black...) mystery snail" and they are given incorrect names like Ampullarius for the genus instead of Pomacea and wrong species names like gigas instead of maculata.
These snails sometimes become inactive (especially when first introduced to a new tank, probably from the stress of moving from one habitat to another), and may not move for several days, but once the snail is acclimated it becomes active again.
In an aquarium that is well lit, the exterior of the shell of apple snails may grow filamentous green algae. This is one possible source of food for juvenile snails.
was introduced in Taiwan
to start an escargot industry. It was thought that such food culture could provide valuable protein
s for farmers, who primarily live on a rice diet. However, the snails did not become a culinary success. Additionally the imported snails (like the native apple snail population, Pila) were able to transfer a parasite called Angiostrongylus cantonensis. This parasite can infect humans if snails are eaten that have not been thoroughly cooked first.
Instead of becoming a valuable food source, the introduced snails escaped and became a serious threat to rice production and the native ecosystems. During the 1980s the introduced snails rapidly spread to Indonesia
, Thailand, Cambodia
, Hong Kong
, southern China
, Japan
and the Philippines
.
Hawaii
experienced the same introduction of Pomacea for culinary purposes, and its taro
industry is now suffering because of it.
Genera Marisa, Pila and Pomacea
(except of Pomacea diffusa
and except of native Pomacea paludosa
) are already established in the USA, and are considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species
which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that these genera be given top national quarantine
significance in the USA.
Nevertheless, apple snails are considered a delicacy in several regions of the world, and they are often sold in East and Pacific Asian markets for consumption.
species and Biophalaria species, which serve as intermediate hosts for trematoda
parasites. These parasites can cause swimmers itch and schistosomiasis
, a disease that affects over 200 million people in tropical regions. One of the species introduced as bio-agent is Marisa cornuarietis
; this snail competes with other snails and also directly preys on other species.
, Mexico
, there is a subspecies of apple snail known as Pomacea patula catemacensis Baker, 1922. This subspecies is endemic to Lake Catemaco. This large snail is locally known as "tegogolo" and is prized as a food item.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the apple snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s, is a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of large freshwater snail
Freshwater snail
A freshwater snail is one kind of freshwater mollusc, the other kind being freshwater clams and mussels, i.e. freshwater bivalves. Specifically a freshwater snail is a gastropod that lives in a watery non-marine habitat. The majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions....
s, aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
gastropod mollusks with a gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
and an operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
. This family is in the superfamily Ampullarioidea
Ampullarioidea
Ampullarioidea is a taxonomic superfamily of freshwater snails, aquatic gastropod mollusks within the informal group Architaenioglossa, which belongs to the clade Caenogastropoda....
and is the type family of that superfamily.
The Ampullariidae are unusual because they have both a gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
and a lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
, the mantle
Mantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
cavity being divided in order to separate the two types of respiratory structures. This adaptation allows these snails to be amphibious.
Taxonomy
This family consists of two following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
), that used classification by Berthold (1991):
- Ampullariinae Gray, 1824
- tribe Ampullariini Gray, 1824 - synonyms: Pilidae preston, 1915 (inv.); Lanistimae Starobogatov, 1983; Pomaceinae Starobogatov, 1983
- tribe Sauleini Berthold, 1991
- Afropominae Berthold, 1991
Genera
Ampullariidae are probably of GondwanaGondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
n origin. The diversification of Ampullariidae started probably after the separation of African Plate
African Plate
The African Plate is a tectonic plate which includes the continent of Africa, as well as oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding ocean ridges.-Boundaries:...
and South American Plate
South American Plate
The South American Plate is a continental tectonic plate which includes the continent of South America and also a sizeable region of the Atlantic Ocean seabed extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge....
. The oldest known ampullariids from Africa and Asia are 160 millions years old. The oldest known ampullariids from America are 50 millions years old. The sister group of Ampullariidae has not been clearly identified yet.
A cladogram
Cladogram
A cladogram is a diagram used in cladistics which shows ancestral relations between organisms, to represent the evolutionary tree of life. Although traditionally such cladograms were generated largely on the basis of morphological characters, DNA and RNA sequencing data and computational...
showing phylogenic relations of only 6 genera of Ampullariidae by Jørgensen et al. (2008):
There are nine extant genera in the family Ampullariidae:
Ampullariinae
- tribe Ampullariini
- Ampullaria Lamarck, 1799 - type genus of the subfamily Ampullariinae, but its type species is extant. This genus is not threated as a valid extant genus Ampullariidae. nomenclatorical details about Ampullaria
- Pila Röding, 1798
- LanistesLanistesLanistes is a genus of freshwater snails which have a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.- Distribution :The distribution of the genus Lanistes includes Africa and Madagascar....
Montfot, 1810 - PomaceaPomaceaPomacea is a genus of freshwater snails with gills and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae. As Pomacea or sometimes incorrectly Ampullarius it is commonly sold as "[color] mystery snail" in aquariums in the United States.- Species :Species in the genus Pomacea...
Perry, 1810
- tribe Sauleini
- SauleaSauleaSaulea is a genus of freshwater snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.Saulea is the type genus of the tribe Sauleini.The genus Saulea is known from Africa.-Species:...
Gray, 1868 - type genus of the tribe Sauleini
- Saulea
Afropominae
- Afropomus Pilsbry & Bequaert, 1927 - type genus of the subfamily Afropominae, with the only species Afropomus balanoideaAfropomus balanoideaAfropomus balanoidea is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails and their allies.Afropomus balanoidea is the only species in the genus Afropomus...
(Gould, 1850)
subfamily ?
- AsoleneAsoleneAsolene is a genus of freshwater snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.The distribution of the genus Asolene includes South America.-Species:...
d'Orbigny, 1838 - FelipponeaFelipponeaFelipponea is a genus of freshwater snails that have a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.- Species :The genus Felipponea includes 3 species:* Felipponea elongata...
(Dall, 1919) - Marisa J. E. Gray, 1824
- Pomella Gray, 1847
Distribution
Genera Asolene, Felipponea, Marisa, and Pomacea are New WorldNew World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
genera (native to South America, Central America, the West Indies and the Southern U.S.A.). The genera Afropomus, Lanistes, and Saulea are found in Africa. The genus Pila is native to both Africa and Asia.
Ecology
Apple snails are exceptionally well adapted to tropicalTropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
regions characterized by periods of drought alternating with periods of high rainfall. This adaptation is reflected in their life style; they are moderately amphibious. They have an operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
which enables the snail to seal the shell entrance to prevent drying out while they are buried in the mud during dry periods.
One of the more typical adaptations of apple snails is the branchial respiration
Respiration (physiology)
'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...
. The snail has a system comparable to the gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s of a fish (at the right side of the snail body) to breathe under water as well as a lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
(at the left side of the body) to respirate air. This lung/gill combination expands the action radius of the snail in search for food. It is part of the snail's natural behaviour to leave the water when the food supply below the surface becomes inadequate.
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
above the waterline in calcareous clutches. This remarkable strategy of aquatic snails protects the eggs against predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
by fish and other aquatic inhabitants. Another anti-predator adaptation in the apple snail genera Pomacea and Pila, is the tubular siphon
Siphon
The word siphon is sometimes used to refer to a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. But in the English language today, the word siphon usually refers to a tube in an inverted U shape which causes a liquid to flow uphill, above the surface of the reservoir,...
, used to breathe air while submerged, reducing vulnerability to attacking birds.
The apple snail's usual enemies are the birds Limpkin
Limpkin
The Limpkin , Aramus guarauna, is a bird that looks like a large rail but is skeletally closer to cranes. It is the only extant species in the genus Aramus and the family Aramidae. It is found mostly in wetlands in warm parts of the Americas, from Florida to northern Argentina...
and Snail Kite
Snail Kite
The Snail Kite is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Its relative, the Slender-billed Kite, is now again placed in Helicolestes, making the genus Rostrhamus monotypic...
.
Apple snails inhabit various ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s: ponds, swamps and rivers. Although they occasionally leave the water, they spend most of their time under water. Unlike the pulmonate snail families, apple snails are not hermaphroditic
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
, but gonochoristic; i.e. they have separate genders.
As a common aquarium animal
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
pets because of their attractive appearance and size. When properly cared for, some apple snail species can reach 15 cm (5.9 in) diameter. Apple snails include species that are the biggest living freshwater snails on Earth.
The most common apple snail in aquarium shops is Pomacea bridgesii
Pomacea bridgesii
Pomacea bridgesii, common names the Spike-topped apple snail or Mystery snail, is a South American species of freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae.-Subspecies:...
, also called Pomacea diffusa, (the spike-topped apple snail). This species comes in different colours from brown to albino or yellow and even blue, purple, pink, and jade, with or without banding. Another common apple snail is Pomacea canaliculata
Pomacea canaliculata
Pomacea canaliculata, common name the channeled applesnail, is a species of large freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails....
; this snail is bigger, rounder and is more likely to eat aquatic plants, which makes it less suitable for most aquaria. This species can also have different shell and body colours. The "giant ramshorn snail" (Marisa cornuarietis
Marisa cornuarietis
Marisa cornuarietis, common name the giant ramshorn snail, is a species of large freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snail family....
) although not always recognized as an apple snail due to its discoidal shape, is also a popular aquatic pet. Occasionally, the Florida apple snail (Pomacea paludosa
Pomacea paludosa
Pomacea paludosa, common name the Florida applesnail, is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.- Shell description :...
) is found in the aquarium trade and these are often collected in the wild from ditches and ponds in Florida. The giant Pomacea maculata is rarely used as an aquarium species.
Apple snails are often sold under the name "golden (ivory, blue, black...) mystery snail" and they are given incorrect names like Ampullarius for the genus instead of Pomacea and wrong species names like gigas instead of maculata.
These snails sometimes become inactive (especially when first introduced to a new tank, probably from the stress of moving from one habitat to another), and may not move for several days, but once the snail is acclimated it becomes active again.
Feeding habits
In captivity, as well as eating vegetables and fish food pellets, apple snails will also eat other foods if they are available. They will sometimes eat brine shrimps and other frozen foods, or dead fish and insects. Generally, they will also eat any of the microscopic vegetation that grow on the tank rocks or walls. Snails will climb out of the water to reach food that is above the waterline. Because of their ability to do this they have become a nuisance in Asia, where they feed on crops.Times of activity
In captivity, apple snails are most active at night. During the day they usually retreat to somewhere shaded. When it is night time, the apple snail becomes active and engages in behaviors relating to feeding, as well as mating and laying eggs.In an aquarium that is well lit, the exterior of the shell of apple snails may grow filamentous green algae. This is one possible source of food for juvenile snails.
Temperature
The optimal aquarium water temperature for apple snails is between 18 to 28 °C (64.4 to 82.4 F). Apple snails are more active and lively in the higher part of this temperature range. In these higher temperatures, the snails tend to eat, crawl and grow faster. At the lower end of the temperature range, 18 °C (64.4 °F), the snails may become inactive.As a pest
In the 1980s, Pomacea canaliculataPomacea canaliculata
Pomacea canaliculata, common name the channeled applesnail, is a species of large freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails....
was introduced in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to start an escargot industry. It was thought that such food culture could provide valuable protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s for farmers, who primarily live on a rice diet. However, the snails did not become a culinary success. Additionally the imported snails (like the native apple snail population, Pila) were able to transfer a parasite called Angiostrongylus cantonensis. This parasite can infect humans if snails are eaten that have not been thoroughly cooked first.
Instead of becoming a valuable food source, the introduced snails escaped and became a serious threat to rice production and the native ecosystems. During the 1980s the introduced snails rapidly spread to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Thailand, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
experienced the same introduction of Pomacea for culinary purposes, and its taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
industry is now suffering because of it.
Genera Marisa, Pila and Pomacea
Pomacea
Pomacea is a genus of freshwater snails with gills and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae. As Pomacea or sometimes incorrectly Ampullarius it is commonly sold as "[color] mystery snail" in aquariums in the United States.- Species :Species in the genus Pomacea...
(except of Pomacea diffusa
Pomacea diffusa
Pomacea diffusa, common name spike-topped apple snail, is a species of freshwater gastropod in the family Ampullariidae.- Taxonomy :Pomacea diffusa was originally described as a subspecies of Pomacea bridgesii...
and except of native Pomacea paludosa
Pomacea paludosa
Pomacea paludosa, common name the Florida applesnail, is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.- Shell description :...
) are already established in the USA, and are considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that these genera be given top national quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
significance in the USA.
Nevertheless, apple snails are considered a delicacy in several regions of the world, and they are often sold in East and Pacific Asian markets for consumption.
As a bio-control agent
Pomacea and Marisa species have been introduced to Africa and Asia in an attempt to control other medically problematic snails in the family Planorbidae: BulinusBulinus
Bulinus is a genus of small tropical freshwater snails, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies....
species and Biophalaria species, which serve as intermediate hosts for trematoda
Trematoda
Trematoda is a class within the phylum Platyhelminthes that contains two groups of parasitic flatworms, commonly referred to as "flukes".-Taxonomy and biodiversity:...
parasites. These parasites can cause swimmers itch and schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
, a disease that affects over 200 million people in tropical regions. One of the species introduced as bio-agent is Marisa cornuarietis
Marisa cornuarietis
Marisa cornuarietis, common name the giant ramshorn snail, is a species of large freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snail family....
; this snail competes with other snails and also directly preys on other species.
As a human food item
In VeracruzVeracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, there is a subspecies of apple snail known as Pomacea patula catemacensis Baker, 1922. This subspecies is endemic to Lake Catemaco. This large snail is locally known as "tegogolo" and is prized as a food item.