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Japanese mysterysnail (Cipangopaludina japonica)

Japanese mysterysnail Synonyms: C. japonicus, C. chinensis japonica, C. chinensis japonicus, Bellamya japonica, B. chinensis japonica, Viviparus japonica, V. japonicus, V. chinensis japonica

Common Names: Oriental mystery snail, Japanese black snail, Japanese trapdoor snail

Description: Is a host to Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Taiwan that causes eosinophilic meningitis. Also, host to many other parasites in Asia that can infect humans.

Identification: Exhibits a shell with 7-8 whorls, a very narrow umbilicus and a spire that is produced at an angle of 50-55 degrees. Adult shells have a fine carinae, while juveniles are covered in hairs where the carinae are located as well as 8 striae/mm between the carinae in the middle of each whorl. Light colored as juveniles and dark brown as adults. Can reach a size of 50 mm. In Lake Erie, adults range from 30-65 mm high and 22-46 mm wide. Females are slightly larger than males.

Habitat: Native to Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. Typically found in mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes.

Reproduction: Viviparious, giving birth to crawling young. Females live up to 8 years and are able to carry 10-120 young. Generally born after water temperatures rise to 15 degrees Celcius or more.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species program.

Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).


Common Name:

Japanese mysterysnail

Scientific Name:

Cipangopaludina japonica

Family:

Viviparidae
(River snail)

Habit:

Mollusks