A review of the non-indigenous Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina chinensis (Viviparidae), in North America, with emphasis on occurrence in Canada and the potential impact on indigenous aquatic species

Abstract

Evidence suggests that the Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina chinensis, a freshwater, dioecious, snail of Asian origin has become invasive in North America, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Invasive species threaten indigenous biodiversity and have socioeconomic consequences where invasive. The aim of this review is to synthesize the relevant literature pertaining to C. chinensis in Canada. In doing so, we (1) describe C. chinensis ecosystem interactions in both indigenous (Asian) and non-indigenous habitats (North America and Europe), (2) identify gaps in the literature, and (3) determine where the species potential distribution in North America requires further exploration. We also briefly discuss potential management strategies for this species, as an aquatic invasive species (AIS), in Canada. Due to the much larger relative size of adult C. chinensis, multiple feeding mechanisms, and resistance to predation, C. chinensis can out-compete and displace indigenous freshwater gastropods and other molluscs. Furthermore, C. chinensis can affect food webs through bottom-up interactions with the bacterial and zooplankton communities by changing nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations. Also, the Chinese literature indicates the potential for C. chinensis to act as a biotransfer of contaminants between polluted ecosystems and consumers. In its indigenous range, C. chinensis was identified as a host for numerous parasites harmful to human and animal consumers alike. A comparison of the Canadian geographical distribution of reported occurrences with that for the United States indicates several potential gaps in Canadian reporting which merits further investigation and consideration, especially in regard to federal and provincial non-indigenous monitoring and regulations. Southern Ontario had the highest number of reports which were mostly from web-based photo-supported sources. This suggests that interactive citizen science through popular apps backed by well-supported educational campaigns may be a highly effective means of tracking C. chinensis spread, which can be complementary to traditional methods using specimen-vouchered taxonomically-verified natural-history collections overseen by professional curators.

A new tool for setting biodiversity management priorities adapted from aquatic invasive species management: A pilot using Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in NS, Canada

“…Similarly, the Chinese mystery snail is present in >1 watershed, but is reported to have a restricted range, mostly around the major cities within NS (i.e. Halifax and Truro), with an unconfirmed population in the Annapolis River (Kingsbury et al., 2020). Therefore, Chinese mystery snail is, thus far, a species isolated to one municipality with very few occurrences outside the Halifax Regional Municipality.…”

Dual Effect of Microplastics and Cadmium on Stream Litter Decomposition and Invertebrate Feeding Behavior

“…The Chinese round snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis) was selected as the model animal for this experiment as it dominates the streams of Zijin Mountain and represents the stream's invertebrates. It is an omnivorous animal that feeds on plants and litter, playing the role of both a grazer and a decomposer in the ecosystem [62,63], which is essential for nutrient cycling and the overall productivity of aquatic ecosystems [64].…”

Differentiated extracts from freshwater and terrestrial mollusks inhibit virulence factor production in Cryptococcus neoformans

“…We extracted proteins and other unidentified molecules in crude and clarified forms from two species of freshwater ( Planorbella pilsbryi and Cipangopaludina chinensis ) and one species of terrestrial ( Cepaea nemoralis ) mollusks and assessed impact of the extracts on virulence factor production by C. neoformans . Notably, P. pilsbryi and C. nemoralis are pulmonated snail species that are native to Canada whereas, C. chinensis is a prosobranch snail that is native to East Asia but has become established across North America 22 . We observed considerable effects on fungal growth, thermotolerance, biofilm formation and disruption, as well as capsule production dependent upon source, clarification process, and extract concentration, but no effect on melanin was detected nor a substantiated cytotoxic effect towards immortalized macrophages.…”