Temperature Tolerance of Red‐Rim Melania Melanoides tuberculatus, an Exotic Aquatic Snail Established in the United States

Abstract

The red-rim melania Melanoides tuberculatus (family Thiaridae), a tropical, nonindigenous aquatic snail, has become established and is spreading in the United States. Concerns associated with the spread of this snail include its potential to displace native snail populations and to transmit trematodes. Of particular concern is the gill trematode Centrocestus formosanus now found in U.S. commercial and wild fish stocks. The snail survives year-round in subtropical ponds and constant-temperature spring runs in Florida and Texas and in geothermal waters of several western and midwestern states. Knowledge of the temperature tolerances of the snail will increase the ability to predict its potential range in North American waters and to control its spread. Under constant temperature conditions in the laboratory, all red-rim melania (15-25 mm shell height [SH]) were killed by exposure to 5ЊC for 1 d, 9ЊC for 2 d, 11ЊC for 8 d, and 13ЊC for 12 d. At 17ЊC and 32.5ЊC, about 10% of the snails died within 27 d, indicating the outer limits of the temperature range for the snail. Waters that attain temperatures less than 18ЊC or greater than 32ЊC will probably not support red-rim melania. All snails (10-20 mm SH) died within 10 h at 40ЊC and within 20 min at 45ЊC. At 50ЊC, all snails (Յ42 mm SH) succumbed within 2.5 min, and the smallest snails (1-4 mm SH) survived for less than 0.5 min. A 4-5-min exposure to 50ЊC or warmer water should kill all red-rim melania on dip nets and other fisheries equipment.

High tolerance to abiotic stressors and invasion success of the slow growing freshwater snail, Melanoides tuberculatus

“…For M. tuberculatus, however, our findings are very similar to that of Mitchell and Brandt (2005) who reported that all M. tuberculatus exposed to 5°C died within 1 day. In addition, exposure to 35°C killed 95% of snails within 27 days, while exposure to 40°C caused complete mortality within 10 h. Our high temperature (37°C) was a midpoint between these two values and our results represent a midpoint in terms of survival (e.g.…”

Import of exotic and zoonotic trematodes (Heterophyidae: Centrocestus sp.) in Xiphophorus maculatus: Implications for ornamental fish import control in Europe

“…The snail can survive under hard environmental conditions, e.g. high salinity levels up to 25% (Smith 1989, Bolaji et al 2011, but is more vulnerable to low temperatures (Mitchell and Brandt 2005b, Kazibwe et al 2006, Karatayev et al 2009, Fleming et al 2011. Nonetheless, it may survive during cold winter months in artificially heated ponds, and rising water temperatures due to the climate changes may improve survival of the snail in temperate regions.…”

Diversity and distribution of mollusks along the Contas River in a tropical semiarid region (Caatinga), Northeastern Brazil

“…Several features allow this invasive species to dominate, including the capability of aestivating (Abílio et al 2007), tolerance to low dissolved-oxygen concentrations, high temperatures (Mitchell & Brandt 2005), and brackish and saline waters, and also because it can reproduce parthenogenetically (see references in Santos et al 2012). The dominance of M. tuberculata in rivers and reservoirs of semiarid regions in northeastern Brazil has been mentioned in the literature (e.g., Abílio et al 2006, Santana et al 2009, Lima et al 2013.…”