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Biological Invasion of Medically Important Bladder Snail Physella acuta Draparnaud, 1805 (Gastropoda, Physidae) in the Freshwater Habitat of Kerala, India

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Abstract

The acute bladder snail, Physella acuta (Draparnaud 1805) is globally considered as a highly invasive snail and it is synonymised to Physa acuta. This species is host to many trematodes causing foodborne diseases in humans. In the present study, P. acuta is recorded for the first time from Kerala state with its first mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequence from India. Twenty-three live specimens of P. acuta were collected from the Edappally Canal in Kochi, Kerala, India using a standard scoop net. The species was identified by morphological studies and confirmed using the barcoding technique. The snail was found attached to invasive freshwater plant Ceratophyllum demersum and other gastropod species Indoplanorbis exustus and Racesina luteola. The density of P. acuta was recorded as 25 ± 10 individuals per 50 cm long shoot. The shell length of the snail ranged between 3.2 and 7 mm, shell width 2–4 mm, aperture length 2.4–5.2 mm, aperture width 1–2 mm, and spire height 0.9–1.8 mm. The dead vacant shell has brownish yellow in colour while the live individuals were translucent having golden yellowish colour. The nucleotide BLAST results showed 100% similarity with the P. acuta sequences reported from Iraq. The specimen also showed a close match with the mtDNA COI sequence from Singapore, Thailand, Southeast Europe, France, Chile and the United States. The introduction of the snail to India is mainly through the aquarium trade. Their rapid growth rate, air-breathing capabilities and pollution tolerance make them a potential competitor to the native fauna. Besides, they could act as mediators of foodborne diseases in this southern state of the country.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the Head, Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, CUSAT for providing necessary facilities. The PRJ is thankful to the Post-Doctoral Program of CUSAT. We are also thanking anonymous peer referees for valuable comments on an early draft of the article.

Funding

The study was partially supported by the Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), Kochi on Marine ecology survey and biodiversity impact assessment study for EIA & CRZ studies of integrated regeneration and water transport system (IURWTS) project in Cochin being implanted in the Dept of Marine Biology, CUSAT.

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  1. Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi, Kerala, 682016, India

    Paravanparambil Rajakumar Jayachandran, Radhakrishnan Radhika, Balakrishna Pillai Aneesh, Kuzhikandathil Sunny Santu, Mantodi Jima & Sivasankaran Bijoy Nandan

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  1. Paravanparambil Rajakumar Jayachandran
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  2. Radhakrishnan Radhika
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Contributions

PRJ and SBN have done research conceptualization; sample design & methodology; PRJ, RR, KSS, MJ have done an investigation & data collection; BPA & PRJ made molecular studies, data analysis & interpretation; SBN made funding provision; PRJ prepared original draft; BPA, MJ and SBN reviewed & edited.

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Correspondence to Paravanparambil Rajakumar Jayachandran or Sivasankaran Bijoy Nandan.

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Jayachandran, P.R., Radhika, R., Aneesh, B.P. et al. Biological Invasion of Medically Important Bladder Snail Physella acuta Draparnaud, 1805 (Gastropoda, Physidae) in the Freshwater Habitat of Kerala, India. Proc Zool Soc 75, 200–207 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-021-00419-w

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