Quilted malania

Quilted malania

Tarebia granifera

Common name:

Quilted malania

Scientific name:

Tarebia granifera

Alternative common names:


Description:

This aquatic snail has a strongly spiralled and grooved shell up to 30mm long. It is pale yellow to brown in colour. Found in flowing and still water, including rivers, dams, ponds and reservoirs. May compete against indigenous snails and disrupt natural processes in aquatic systems.

Additional Information


Where does this species come from?

South-east Asia.

What is its invasive status in South Africa?

NEMBA Category 1b.

Where in South Africa is it a problem?

KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga below 300m altitude.

How does it spread?

Dispersal through aquatic environments.

Why is it a problem?

May compete against indigenous snails and disrupt natural processes in aquatic systems.

What does it look like?

Description: This aquatic snail has a strongly spiralled and grooved shell up to 30mm long. It is pale yellow to brown in colour.

Habitat: Found in flowing and still water, including rivers, dams, ponds and reservoirs.

Breeding: Females are parthenogenetic, meaning they can reproduce and produce fertile young without the aid of a male. These snails give birth to live young – the young develop in a brood pouch which can hold up to 27 embryos at a time.

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