As a common aquarium animal '' with extended
siphon. Apple snails are popular
aquarium pets because of their attractive appearance and size. When properly cared for, some apple snail species can reach diameter. Apple snails include species that are the biggest living freshwater snails on Earth. The most common apple snail in aquarium shops are
Pomacea bridgesii and
Pomacea diffusa, (both called
mystery snails or
spike-topped apple snails, among other things). These species come in different colours from brown to albino or yellow and even blue, purple, pink, and jade, with or without banding. Another common apple snail is
Pomacea canaliculata; this snail is bigger, rounder and is more likely to eat aquatic plants, which makes it less suitable for most aquaria. This species can also have different shell and body colours. The "giant ramshorn snail" (
Marisa cornuarietis) although not always recognized as an apple snail due to its discoidal shape, is also a popular aquatic pet. Occasionally, the
Florida apple snail (
Pomacea paludosa) is found in the aquarium trade and these are often collected in the wild from ditches and ponds in Florida. The giant
Pomacea maculata is rarely used as an aquarium species. Apple snails are often sold under the name "golden (ivory, blue, black...) mystery snail" and they are given incorrect names like
Ampullarius for the genus instead of
Pomacea and wrong species names like
gigas instead of
maculata.
Temperature The optimal aquarium water temperature for apple snails is between . Apple snails are more active and lively in the higher part of this temperature range. In these higher temperatures, the snails tend to eat, crawl and grow faster. At the lower end of the temperature range, , the snails may become inactive.
As a pest In the 1980s,
Pomacea canaliculata was introduced in
Taiwan to start an
escargot industry. It was thought that such food culture could provide valuable
proteins for farmers, who primarily live on a rice diet. However, the snails did not become a culinary success. Additionally, the imported snails (like the native apple snail population,
Pila) were able to transfer a parasite called
Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm). This parasite can infect humans if snails are eaten that have not been thoroughly cooked first. Instead of becoming a valuable food source, the introduced snails escaped and became a serious threat to rice production and the native ecosystems. During the 1980s the introduced snails rapidly spread to
Indonesia,
Thailand,
Cambodia,
Hong Kong, southern
China,
Japan and the
Philippines.
Hawaii experienced the same introduction of
Pomacea for culinary purposes, and its
taro industry is now suffering because of it. Genera
Marisa,
Pila and
Pomacea (except
Pomacea diffusa and native
Pomacea paludosa) are already established in the US, and are considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a
pest which could negatively affect agriculture, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that these genera be given top national
quarantine significance in the US. Nevertheless, apple snails are considered a delicacy in several regions of the world, and they are often sold in East and Pacific Asian markets for consumption.
As a bio-control agent Pomacea and
Marisa species have been introduced to Africa and Asia in an attempt to control other medically problematic snails in the family Planorbidae:
Bulinus species and
Biomphalaria species, which serve as intermediate hosts for
trematoda parasites. These parasites can cause
swimmers itch and
schistosomiasis, a disease that affects over 200 million people in tropical regions. One of the species introduced as bio-agent is
Marisa cornuarietis; this snail competes with other snails and also directly preys on other species.
As food In
Veracruz,
Mexico, there is a subspecies of apple snail known as
Pomacea patula catemacensis Baker, 1922. This subspecies is endemic to
Lake Catemaco. This large snail is locally known as "tegogolo" and is prized as a nutritious food item, with approximately 12 grams of protein per 100 grams of apple snail flesh according to the apple snail nutritional information. They are also low in fat and high in minerals and are considered an
aphrodisiac. Only wild or specifically cultured apple snails are fit for human consumption; those found in domestic aquaria may be unsuitable. ==References==