Marbled tadpole snail

Slender bladder snail

Aplexa marmorata

Common name:

Slender bladder snail

Scientific name:

Aplexa marmorata

Alternative common names:


Description:

A small aquatic snail with a narrow, pointed shell measuring up to 15mm. The shell is coiled to the left. The shell is brownish with a marbled pattern of lighter blotches. It prefers standing water in canals, ponds and swamps but not river where water runs steadily.

Additional Information


Where does this species come from?

South America.

What is its invasive status in South Africa?

NEMBA Category 1b.

Where in South Africa is it a problem?

Found in parts of the Western Cape as well as northern KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland.

How does it spread?

Spreads through waterways with breeding populations.

Why is it a problem?

This aquatic snail is non-indigenous and may negatively impact indigenous snails, although its impact on aquatic biodiversity is not yet known.

What does it look like?

Description: A small aquatic snail with a narrow, pointed shell measuring up to 15mm. The shell is coiled to the left. The shell is brownish with a marbled pattern of lighter blotches.

Habitat: It prefers standing water in canals, ponds and swamps but not river where water runs steadily.

Breeding: Hermaphrodite – having both male and female reproductive organs.

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