Banded Mystery Snail
Viviparus georgianus
Report it
If you think you have found an aquatic invasive species:
- do not return the species to the water
- take photos
- note:
- the exact location (GPS coordinates)
- the observation date
- identifying features
- contact us to report it
Learn about the Banded Mystery Snail, including their identifying features, distribution, habitat, spread, similar species, impacts and our response.
On this page
Banded Mystery Snail (Photo credit: Severn Sound Environmental Association)
The Banded Mystery Snail is a mollusc, part of the larger class Gastropoda. This freshwater snail is said to have been illegally introduced to North America by the aquarium trade.
Identifying features
- between 3.5 cm and 4 cm in size
- thin, spherical shell, with whorls that wind clockwise, separated by deep sutures (lines of contact between the turns)
- colour ranging from yellow to a greenish brown with darker spiral bands
If you think you have seen a Banded Mystery Snail, report it.
Where is the species invasive
The Banded Mystery Snail was first observed in Lake Michigan and Lake Erie at the beginning of the last century, as well as in the St. Lawrence River in 1953. After its introduction, the Banded Mystery Snail was spread by water gardens, watersports, recreational fishing.
Distribution
The Banded Mystery Snail comes from the eastern and central United States.
Habitat
The Banded Mystery Snail lives in various types of water habitats (ponds, marshes, rivers, lakes, and irrigation canals) in depths less than 3 m where currents are slow, and substrate is predominately mud or loam. It is also found in areas with sandy and gravel substrate. This snail usually avoids large rivers with strong currents, but the Banded Mystery Snail is present in the St. Lawrence River.
Similar species
Several other species of freshwater snails are native to Canada, so experts are often needed to differentiate them. For example, the Banded Mystery Snail resembles the invasive Chinese Mystery Snail and Japanese Mystery Snail (Cipangopaludina japonica) – another snail originating from East Asia – whose shell is more elongated. In Canada, the Japanese Mystery Snail is only present in Lake Erie.
Chinese Mystery Snail
Photo credit: L. M. Campbell, Saint Mary's University
Japanese Mystery Snail
Photo credit: Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Impacts
Ecological impacts
The Banded Mystery Snail is frequently the dominant species of invertebrate at its level in the food chain. Research, both in the laboratory and in ponds, has shown that this species feeds on fish eggs, such as largemouth bass eggs. Known to be an intermediate host for trematodes, this invading snail is involved in the spread of these parasites to waterfowl. The infection causes the inability to fly and eventually leads to the death of the host in most circumstances.
Some Banded Mystery Snail populations die off after one breeding event. This can result in a large number of dead snails and shell debris in aquatic habitats.
Socio-economics impacts
In bodies of water where Banded Mystery Snail are found in large concentrations, fishing activities could be affected if one considers the predation of snails on fish eggs.
Response
The Identification Booklet of Freshwater Invasive Species in Quebec from DFO is available to make the detection of the Banded Mystery Snail easier.
The best way to protect water bodies from this invader is to properly clean, drain and dry your boats and other equipment used in nautical activities and recreational fishing. Don't let it loose and follow the clean-up steps described on the DFO Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention page. Always check and follow provincial regulations when planning to move water-based craft and equipment.
Photo gallery
Banded Mystery Snail (Photo credit: DFO)
Related links
- Chinese mystery snail and banded mystery snail identification photos and characteristics
- Science Advice on "Clean, Drain, Dry and Decontaminate" treatments and protocols to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (PDF, 632 KB)
- Research Document on "Clean, Drain, Dry, and Decontaminate" treatments and protocols to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species
- Science Advice on the Potential of Introducing Live Organisms by the Aquarium, Water Garden, and Live Food Trades in Canada (PDF, 1192 KB)
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