Synonyms and Other Names: Chinese mysterysnail, Oriental mysterysnail, Asian applesnail, Chinese applesnail, C. chinensis malleatus, Viviparus malleatus, V. chinensis malleatus, Bellamya chinensis, B. chinensis malleatus
Identification: Species of the genus Cipangopaludina can be identified by their relatively large globose shells and concentrically marked opercula (Burch 1980). Cipangopaludina chinensis has a width to height ratio of 0.74–0.82, the shell has 6.0–7.0 whorls, and the inner coloration is white to pale blue (Clarke 1981, Jokinen 1992). This species has a small and round umbilicus and the spire is produced at an angle of 65–80º (Jokinen 1992). Cipangopaludina chinensis exhibits light coloration as a juvenile and olive green, greenish brown, brown or reddish brown pigmentation as an adult (Clarke 1981, Jokinen 1992). In juveniles, the last shell whorl displays a distinct carina, and the shell contains grooves with 20 striae/mm between each groove (Clarke 1981, Smith 2000). Juveniles also have a detailed pattern on their periostracum consisting of 2 apical and 3 body whorl rows of hairs with long hooks on the ends, distinct ridges and many other hairs with short hooks (Jokinen 1984). The shell of C. chinensis grows allometrically (the height increasing faster than the width) and does so at a decreased rate in comparison with C. japonica, such that the adult shell is less elongate than that of its congener (Jokinen 1982). The radula (feeding structure) also may differ between C. japonica and C. chinensis, but there is so much variation even within one species that it is not a good diagnostic characteristic (Smith 2000). However, as a general guide, in one North American population, the radula of C. chinensis had seven small cusps on the marginal tooth and a large central cusp with four small cusps on either side (Jokinen 1982).
Native Range: From Southeast Asia to Japan and eastern Russia.
Ecology: Cipangopaludina chinensis feeds non-selectively on organic and inorganic bottom material as well as benthic and epiphytic algae, mostly by scraping, but diatoms are probably the most nutritious food it ingests at sites in eastern North America (Jokinen 1982). It prefers lentic water bodies with silt, sand, and mud substrate in eastern North America, although it can survive in slower regions of streams as well (Jokinen 1982, Stanczykowska et al. 1971). This species has been found in waters in eastern North America with pH 6.5–8.4, calcium concentration of 5–97 ppm, magnesium concentration of 13–31 ppm, oxygen concentration of 7–11 ppm, depths of 0.2–3 m, conductivity of 63–400 μmhos/cm, and sodium concentration of 2–49 ppm (Jokinen 1982, Jokinen 1992, Stanczykowska et al. 1971). It can tolerate conditions in stagnant waters near septic tanks (Perron and Probert 1973). Prefers slow-moving freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes with soft, muddy or silty bottoms. This species is ovoviviparous (Jokinen 1992). Females live up to 5 years, while males live up to 3, occasionally 4 years (Jokinen 1982; Jokinen 1992). Female fecundity is very high, with brood pouches found to contain up to 133 embroys at once; larger females have larger broods, rather than larger embryos, increasing cluch sizes overall (Stephen et al. 2013). All females generally contain embryos from May to August and young are born from June through October in eastern North America in shallow water, then females begin migrating to deeper water for the winter in the fall (Jokinen 1982; Jokinen 1992; Stanczykowska et al. 1971). Females bear more young in their 4th and 5th years than in other years (Jokinen 1992). Johnson et al. (2009) showed that C. chinensis often co-occurs with the rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus), another species that has invaded the midwest; this co-occurrence is likey due to the resistance of C. chinensis to crayfish predation, which is attributed to their thick shell. This species is a host to many parasites (see 'Impacts' section below; Chang et al 1968; Michelson 1970; Otsuru 1979; Chao et al. 1993; Chung and Jung, 1999; Sohn et al. 2013).
Means of Introduction: This species was sold in Chinese food market in San Francisco in the late 1800s; collected as early as 1914 in Boston. Probably released from an aquarium into the Niagara River between 1931 and 1942 (Mills et al. 1993).
Status: Cipangopaludina chinensis is established in Lake Ontario and Lake Michigan drainages.
Impact of Introduction: Human Health, Parasites This species host to many parasties: the common native parasite Aspidogaster conchicola (Michelson 1970), the human-intestinal trematide Echinostoma cinetorchis (Chung and Jung, 1999) and Echinostoma macrorchis (Sohn et al. 2013), and the rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis;Chang et al 1968; Otsuru 1979). It is also a common host to larvae of echinostomes in the Kinmen islands (Chao et al. 1993). Additionally, the parasite Aspidogaster conchicola, which this species hosts, can be spread to native Unionid mussels (Huehner and Etges, 1977). CompetitionSummary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...
Ecological Economic Human Health Other
This species has been shown to alter feeding behavior in the native snail Helisoma trivolvis (marsh rams-horn) when present in high densities (Sura and Mahon, 2011).
During mesocosm experiments, C. chinesis reduced the abundance of the native snail Lymnaea stagnalis; when Faxonius rusticus (the rusty crayfish) co-occured with Cipangopaludina chinensis, Lymnaea stagnalis was extipated from the mesocosm (Johnson et al., 2009).
Habitat Alteration, Recreation
Since this species reaches such high densities where it occurs, large die-offs often occur with the species as well, which result in shell accumulations and wrack line on the lake beaches, often to the dismay of recreational users (Bury et al. 2007).
Human Health, Agriculture
Cipangopaludina chinensis is capable of ingesting, and therefore removing, the heavy metals from sewage fertilizer on rice fields; this has implications for human health and food safety (Kurihara et al. 1987).
Remarks: Prefers slow-moving freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes with soft, muddy or silty bottoms. Can have up to 7 whorls; females are livebearers giving birth to crawling young. This species was sold in Chinese food market in San Francisco in the late 1800s; collected as early as 1914 in Boston. Taxonomy of the introduced populations of mysterysnails from Asia is confusing and there are many scientific names in use. There has also been debate regarding whether or not C. chinensis and C. japonica in North America are synonymous and simply different phenotypes of the same species. This database considers the two as separate species. Smith (2000) argues that Cipangopaludina is a subgenus of Bellamya; however, because most North American literature does not use the genus Bellamya to refer to these introduced snails, the mysterysnails discussed here are referred to by the name Cipangopaludina. David and Cote (2019) did a genetic and morphological analysis on North American populations of both C. japonica and C. chinensis, finding them genetically distinct, morphologically indistinguishable, and co-occuring in multiple lakes of New York; the authors go on to discuss literature which also supports the idea that these two species have no shell characters that can be used to distinguish them morphologically. Literature cited in this database regarding the Chinese mysterysnail may employ the following names: C. chinensis, C. chinensis malleatus, C. chinensis malleata, Viviparus malleatus, V. chinensis malleatus, B. chinensis and B. chinensis malleatus.
References: (click for full references)
Burch, J.B. 1980. A guide to the fresh water snails of the Philippines. Malacological Review 13(1-2):121-144.
Bury, J.A., B.E. Sietman, and B.N. Karns. 2007. Distribution of the non-native Viviparid snails, Bellamya chinensis and Viviparus georgianus, in Minnesota and the first record of Bellamya japonica from Wisconsin. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 22(4):697-703.
Chao, D., L.C. Wang, and T.C. Huang. 1993. Prevalence of larval helminths in freshwater snails of the Kinmen Islands. Journal of Helminthology 67(4):259-264.
Chang, P-K, J.H. Cross, and S.S.S. Chen. 1968. Aquatic Snails as Intermediate Hosts for Angiostrongylus cantonensis on Taiwan. The Journal of Parasitology 54(1):182-183.
Chung, P.R., and Y. Jung. 1999. Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata (Gastropoda: Viviparidae): a new second molluscan intermediate host of a human intestinal fluke Echinostoma cinetorchis (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) in Korea. Journal of Parasitology 85(5):963-964.
Clarke, A.H. 1978. The Asian apple snail Cipangopaludina chinensis (Viviparidae) in Oneida Lake, New York. Nautilus 92(3):134.
Clarke, A.H. 1981. The freshwater molluscs of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 447 pp.
Cordeiro, J.R. 2002. Proliferation of the Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata (Reeve, 1863) throughout Connecticut [Abstract]. (R.T. Dillon, ed.) Program and Abstracts of the 68th Meeting of the American Malacological Society, Charleston, SC. p. 37. Available http://www.malacological.org/meetings/archives/2002/2002_abs.pdf
David, A.A., and S.C. Cote. 2019. Genetic evidence confirms the presence of the Japanese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina japonica (von Martens, 1861) (Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae) in northern New York. BioInvasions Records 8(4):793-803. https://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2019/4/BIR_2019_David_Cote.pdf
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Author: Kipp, R.M., A.J. Benson, J. Larson, A. Fusaro and C. Morningstar
Revision Date: 7/24/2023 Citation Information:
Kipp, R.M., A.J. Benson, J. Larson, A. Fusaro and C. Morningstar, 2024, Cipangopaludina chinensis (Gray, 1834): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=1044, Revision Date: 7/24/2023, Access Date: 5/18/2024
This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.
