Invertebrates
Assassin Snail
Clea helena · also called bumblebee snail
Emerging from the sand with its yellow-and-brown banded shell, an assassin snail tracks down a smaller pest snail, a predatory lifestyle that has made it a deliberate, welcome addition to aquariums struggling with an out-of-control snail population.
Overview
The assassin snail, Clea helena, is native to fresh water across Southeast Asia. Its predatory hunting of other snails, deliberate use for pest control in aquariums, and bumblebee-like banded shell make it one of the more functionally useful and visually distinctive snails kept by aquarium hobbyists.
A snail that eats other snails
While most snails graze quietly on algae and decaying plant matter, the assassin snail has turned to hunting its own relatives instead, a predatory habit that has made it genuinely valuable to keepers dealing with runaway populations of smaller pest snails.
Status
Not Evaluated for conservation status, widespread across suitable freshwater habitat throughout Southeast Asia.
Assassin Snail: common questions
Why is it called the assassin snail?
It actively hunts and eats other, smaller snail species, a predatory lifestyle unusual among snails, which gives the species its common name.
Why do aquarium keepers add assassin snails to their tanks?
They are often deliberately introduced to control outbreaks of smaller pest snail species that have reproduced out of control, since the assassin snail will hunt and reduce their numbers over time.
Will the assassin snail take over my tank like pest snails do?
It is less likely to, since it reproduces more slowly than many of the pest snails it preys on, helping keep its own population at a more manageable level.
Why is the assassin snail also called the bumblebee snail?
Its shell is patterned with yellow and brown bands reminiscent of a bumblebee's stripes, giving rise to this alternative common name.