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The Nonindigenous Occurrences section of the NAS species profiles has a new structure. The section is now dynamically updated from the NAS database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information. Occurrences are summarized in Table 1, alphabetically by state, with years of earliest and most recent observations, and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed. The table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states, years, and drainages selected. References to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the Table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables.

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Common name: spiketop applesnail

Synonyms and Other Names: Ampullaria bridgesii Reeve 1856

Taxonomy: available through www.itis.gov

Identification: Large snails reaching several inches in diameter, shells are yellow to brown and may have banding.

Size: 65 mm shell height (Pain 1960)

Native Range: Tropical and subtropical South America

Alaska	Hawaii	Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands	Guam Saipan

Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) Explained
Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Ecology: Freshwater lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and ditches preferring slow-moving water. Applesnails are tropical to subtropical organisms and cannot survive below 50^oF in the winter (Florida DOACS 2002).

The sexes are separate and fertilization is internal.  Pale pink eggs are laid and hatch in 2-3 weeks.

Means of Introduction: Pomacea bridgesii is very common in the aquarium trade and was most likely introduced through this pathway.

Impact of Introduction: Aditya and Raut (2001) found a wide range of food acceptability that included weeds, garden vegetation, oligochaetes, snail eggs, decomposing decapods and molluscan flesh, birds and mammals (cut pieces of meat). They further stated that animal food was preferred to plant food.

Remarks: Research by Savaya-Alkalay et al. (2018) suggests that the development of all-male prawn populations of Macrobrachium rosenbergii has the potential as a biocontrol agent over hatchling and adult apple snails (Pomacea spp.). Medium-sized and large prawns (10–30 g) preyed on snails up to 15 mm in size, while small prawns (up to 4 g) effectively consumed snail hatchlings.

References: (click for full references)

Aditya, G. and S. K. Raut. 2001. Food of the snail, Pomacea bridgesi, introduced in India. Current Science 80(8):919-921.

Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 2002. Applesnails. Technical Bulletin Number 3, 4 p. accessed 6/28/2012 at http://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/aquaculture/techbull/2002no3.pdf.

Pain, T. 1960. Pomacea (Ampullariidae) of the Amazon River system. Journal of Conchology 24:421-432.

Savaya-Alkalay, A., Ovadia, O., Barki, A., and A. Sagi. 2018. Size-selective predation by all-male prawns: implications for sustainable biocontrol of snail invasions. Biological Invasions 20:137–149.

Author: Benson, A.J.

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.