Invertebrates
Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii · also called apple snail
Extending a tube-like siphon to the surface for a breath of air, a mystery snail glides through a planted aquarium grazing algae, its dual gill-and-lung breathing system letting it comfortably handle water conditions that would trouble many other snails.
Overview
The mystery snail, Pomacea bridgesii, is native to still and slow-moving fresh water in South America. Its dual breathing system combining gills and a lung, large size relative to many ornamental snails, and peaceful algae-grazing habits make it one of the most popular and low-maintenance snails kept in home aquariums.
Breathing two ways at once
Few aquarium snails combine gill breathing with an actual lung and breathing siphon quite like the mystery snail, giving it flexibility to thrive in both well-oxygenated and comparatively poor water conditions alike.
Status
Not Evaluated for conservation status, widespread across suitable freshwater habitat throughout South America.
Mystery Snail: common questions
Why is it called the mystery snail?
The exact origin of the common name is unclear, though it may relate to how mysteriously its eggs and young appear in aquariums, a quirk shared with several other snails sold under similar informal names.
How does the mystery snail breathe?
It has both gills for breathing underwater and a simple lung, along with a tube-like siphon it extends to the surface to draw in air without fully emerging from the water.
Does the mystery snail eat aquarium plants?
Generally not; it is considered a peaceful, non-destructive grazer that focuses mainly on algae and decaying matter rather than damaging healthy living plants.
Where does the mystery snail lay its eggs?
Females lay a cluster of eggs above the water's surface, a trait shared with other apple snail species, rather than depositing eggs underwater.