Bellamya

Abstract: With ecosystems increasingly supporting multiple invasive species, interactions among invaders could magnify or ameliorate the undesired consequences for native communities and ecosystems. We evaluated the individual and combined effects of rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) and Chinese mystery snails [Bellamya (=Cipangopaludina) chinensis] on native snail communities (Physa, Helisoma and Lymnaea sp.) and ecosystem attributes (algal chlorophyll a and nutrient concentrations). Both invaders are widespread in the USA and commonly co-occur within northern temperate lakes, underscoring the importance of understanding their singular and joint effects. An outdoor mesocosm experiment revealed that while the two invaders had only weakly negative effects upon one another, both negatively affected the abundance and biomass of native snails, and their combined presence drove one native species to extinction and reduced a second by >95%. Owing to its larger size and thicker shell, adult Bellamya were protected from crayfish attack relative to native species (especially Physa and Lymnaea), suggesting the co-occurrence of these invaders in nature could have elevated consequences for native communities. The per capita impacts of Orconectes (a snail predator) on native snails were substantially greater than those of Bellamya (a snail competitor). Crayfish predation also had a cascading effect by reducing native snail biomass, leading to increased periphyton growth. Bellamya, in contrast, reduced periphyton biomass, likely causing a reduction in growth by native lymnaeid snails. Bellamya also increased water column N:P ratio, possibly because of a low P excretion rate relative to native snail species. Together, these findings highlight the importance of understanding interactions among invasive species, which can have significant community- and ecosystem-level effects.

Abstract: Managing invasive species requires information about their distributions and potential effects, but community-level impacts of invasive animals remain poorly understood. The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is a large invasive gastropod that achieves high densities in waters across North America, yet little is known about its ecological significance in invaded systems. We surveyed 44 lakes to describe the patterns and determinants of B. chinensis distributions in northern Wisconsin, USA, and to assess the likelihood of effects on native snail communities in the invaded systems. B. chinensis was widespread among surveyed lakes (21 of 42 lakes with snails) and its occurrence was correlated with indicators of lake productivity and anthropogenic dispersal vectors (boat landings, distance to population centers, shoreline housing density). Some native snail species tended not to occur at sites where B. chinensis was abundant; among these was Lymnaea stagnalis, which suffered reduced survival in the presence of B. chinensis in a recently published mesocosm study. However, there was no difference in overall snail assemblage structure at either the site or lake level as a function of B. chinensis presence or abundance. Lake occurrences of many snail species have apparently been lost over time, but a comparison to a 1930s survey showed that there was no increased likelihood of species loss in lakes invaded by B. chinensis (or by the invasive crayfish Orconectes rusticus). Although B. chinensis is widespread and sometimes abundant in northern Wisconsin lakes, it does not appear to have strong systematic impacts on native snail assemblages.

Abstract: Monthly and seasonal fluctuations in densities of freshwater snails were recorded in six different sites at Qena Governorate during the period of March 2009 February 2010. The study revealed the occurrence of 13 species of freshwater snails belonging to 9 families of class Gastropoda. The snail species and their total catch were: Cleopatra bulimoides (1704 specimens), Lanistes carinatus (1468 specimens), Melanoides tuberculata (1036 specimens), Gabbiella senaariensis (731 specimens) Theodoxus niloticus (670 specimens), Bellamya unicolor (588 specimens), Physa acuta (213 specimens), Lymnaea natalensis (145 specimens), Succinea cleopatra (85 specimens), Bulinus truncatus (73 specimens), Biomphalaria alexandrina (41 specimens), Gyraulus ehrenbergi (12 specimens) and Helisoma duryi (2 specimens) in a descending order. The densities of the recorded snails varied seasonally and the general seasonal peak was recorded during Autumn while the lowest density observed during Winter. Ecological factors which may influence the distribution of the recorded snails were also determined (water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen conductivity, total hardness, total dissolved salts, water depth and percentage of macrophytes).