Aquatic Invasive Species

Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata)

Description (Daniel et al., 2021):

• Snails that attain sizes slightly smaller than a golf ball
• Shell color varies from yellow to brown, typically with dark spiral bands

Habitat:

• Found in freshwater systems such as wetlands and agricultural areas (Global Invasive Species Database, 2021)

Impacts & Concern (Daniel et al., 2021):

• Competes with native species for resources and feeds on aquatic plants
• Causes damage to taro and rice crops by chewing through plants and creating holes for bacteria to enter

Introduction (Global Invasive Species Database, 2021):

• First introduced as a local food source and spread too quickly to control
• Most likely spread to Hawaiʻi through aquarium release

Distribution in Hawaii (Daniel et al., 2021):

• Kauai: Present
• Oʻahu: Present
• Molokai: Not documented
• Lanai: Present
• Maui: Present
• Big Island: Present

References:

• Daniel, W. M. (2021) Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1828): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=980
• Global Invasive Species Database. (2021.) Species profile: Pomacea canaliculata. [Dataset] https://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=135 on 05-05-2021