Faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata)

Common Names: Mud bithynia

Description: Discovered in the Great Lakes in the 1870s and was introduced via vegatation in packing crates or in ballast water.

Identification: Grow up to 1/2 in long and are pale brown in color. Their shells develop 4-5 whorls and the opening is on the right side when the shell is pointed up. An operculum is present to close the opening.

Habitat: Native to Europe. Found in freshwater ponds, shallow lakes, and canals.

Reproduction: Dioecious, lays eggs on rocks, wood and shells in organized aggregates arranged in double rows, in clumps of 1-77. Egg-laying occurs from May to July and a second time in October and November by females born early in the year. Females may lay up to 347 eggs and is greatest for the 2nd year. Eggs hatch in 3 weeks to 3 months, depending on water temps. Lifespan is normally 17-39 months.

Similar species: Banded mystery snail (Viviparus georgianus) and Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis).

Monitoring and rapid response: Populations can be difficult or impossible to eradicate, so preventing the spread is important. Clean, Drain, Dry. Inspect and remove aquatic plants, animals, and mud from boats and other equipment before moving to another waterbody. Spray with high-pressure hot (120 F) water for a few minutes.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.

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).

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