Chinese mystery snails are an invasive, large freshwater snail that were introduced from Asia sometime in the 1800s. Chinese Mystery snails also go by the name ‘Cipangopaludina chinensis’. They were brought over in the food trade and the pet trade. They had shown up at the food market, and then the first recorded population of Chinese mysteries snails in Canada was in the Niagara River in the 1930s. Since then Chinese Mystery Snails have spread naturally and through human assistance throughout the Great Lakes.
This is why canada has outlawed the possession and sale of the snails. They spread like wildfire if one is disposed of improperly. Chinese Mystery Snails also impacts Ontario’s lakes and wildlife in the lakes, such as feeding on fish eggs, causing the fish population to change and how they can spread diseases.
Brook Schryer who is an aquatic Program Specialist at the Invading Species Awareness Program explains how this is dangerous.
“They do reproduce and spread quite quickly, they can spread certain things like parasites and diseases. Something like a trematode, which is a parasite, and can be quite harmful to too much of our wildlife, some waterfowl will feed on snails and if they have trematodes, and the trematodes then get passed on to the waterfowl and can actually lead to death of the affected waterfowl.”
Mitch Dender, A biologist for Sustainable Marine Canada explains what he thinks is a big contributor to the spread of the invasive species.
“A lot of people will keep fish and snails in tanks and then when they release them into the wild and then it ends up causing problems and I can’t say for sure but I’m sure that a major contributor of the Chinese mystery snail in our in our native water body is from aquarium hobbyists releasing them.”
However, Mitch Dender assures that Ontario is working to prevent the spread.
“There’s a lot of things that Ontario is doing to combat invasive species. Everything from inspecting your well water and checking ballast water in bigger ships. Spraying the underside of of anything that’s been in contact with an area that may have basic snails all the way to inspecting your equipment.”
Chinese Mystery Snails are around, so stay safe and if you spot one, make sure to report them to the Invasive Species awareness program at 1-800-563-7711. Try and get a clear photograph, mark your location, and let them know where it is so that they can better understand where these invasive species are in Ontario.
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