Georgia wildlife officials have asked the public for help in eradicating a colony of invasive ‘mystery snails,’ which harbor dangerous parasites and damage property.
Known as the “Chinese mystery snail” and the “Japanese mystery snail”, or by its Latin genus CypangopaludinThe creature was first discovered in the United States at a San Francisco-area seafood market in 1892, invasive species experts say.
Many states have made it illegal to release snails into the wild, while allowing them to be legally kept in aquariums. But Georgia has adopted stricter rules.
“Recent regulatory changes prohibit individuals from possessing live mystery snails within the state of Georgia,” as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) reiterated Tuesday, “regardless of their intended use.”
A key concern is that these slimy creatures are known to transmit human intestinal flukes and can also carry the same fluke parasites found in native mussels.
Georgia wildlife officials have asked the public for help in eradicating a colony of invasive ‘mystery snails’ (pictured), which can harbor dangerous parasites and damage property.
Above, an image from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), which discovered a “viable and breeding population” of mystery snails in Lake Lanier.
But the mysterious snail can also wreak havoc on private property, “damaging boats and other boating equipment,” as the Georgia WRD noted, in addition to potentially clogging water inlet pipes of almost any size.
And, as other state officials have noted, the economic damage is not limited to man-made structures.
“Mystery snails can die in large numbers, polluting beaches and coastlines,” according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The ecological impacts of the creature may also impact the results of local fisheries, as the spread of the mystery snails displaces key species in the food chain.
WRD said the invasive snail was discovered during routine sampling of Lake Lanier.
“While we initially expected this to be a single specimen found on Lanier,” WRD aquatic nuisance species coordinator Jim Page said in a statement“Further investigation indicated that this is a viable and reproductive snail population.”
“While we initially expected this to be a single specimen found on Lanier,” WRD Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator Jim Page said in a statement, “further investigation indicated this is a viable, reproductive population of snails.”
The mysterious snail (pictured) can wreak havoc on private property, “damaging boats and other boating equipment,” as Georgia’s WRD noted, as well as potentially clogging water inlet pipes of almost any size. Their ecological impacts can also harm the results of local fisheries.
Page and his colleagues gave some concrete advice to local Georgia “fishermen and boaters,” asking them to help the state “prevent further spread” of the mysterious snail.
“Prevention remains our best tool in the war against invasive species, and prevention can only be achieved with the public’s help,” according to Page.
“Whether taking the time to thoroughly wash your boat, trailer and fishing gear after every outing,” Page said, “or simply not intentionally releasing non-native species into bodies of water where they did not previously exist… Let’s protect our waters!’
Wildlife experts warned that the mystery snail can be identified by its large size, growing 1.5 to 3 inches from the top to the edge of its shell.
Each shell has 6 to 7 whorls or whorls and is uniform olive green to greenish brown or sometimes reddish brown.
A mysterious young Chinese snail may be as small as a grain of rice, experts say. And both adult and juvenile snails can hide in mud or attach themselves to anchors and ropes, as well as hunting, fishing and diving equipment.
The mysterious snail can reduce the numbers of beloved local fauna, such as otters, muskrats, ducks, geese and fish, because it not only displaces native gastropods and mollusks, but is also harder to kill as prey.
The mystery snail is one of several species whose shell comes with a trap door, which helps insulate it from hungry predators.
Due to the voracious feeding habits of snails, they tend to alter the chemical and nutrient cycle of aquatic habitats with the large volume of fecal matter it produces.
The resulting increase in nitrogen and phosphorus cycling can cause disruptive changes in the size of bacteria, algae and zooplankton communities, according to the nonprofit organization. Invasive Species Center in Ontario, Canada.
For Georgia residents or visitors looking for more information about invasive species and how to report sightings, WRD recommends visiting GeorgiaWildlife.com/ans.