Head to head
Ramshorn Snail vs Mystery Snail
Ramshorn Snail
VS Mystery Snail
The ramshorn snail and the mystery snail are both popular freshwater aquarium snails, but they differ sharply in size and how each one breathes, as well as in how much their populations tend to get out of hand.
| Ramshorn Snail | Mystery Snail | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Planorbella and relatives | Pomacea bridgesii |
| Size | Small | Considerably larger |
| Breathing | A simple lung | Both gills and a lung, plus a breathing siphon |
| Shell shape | Flattened, coiled, ram's-horn shape | Rounded, apple-like shape |
| Breeding rate | Breeds very readily, can overpopulate a tank | Breeds less explosively |
| Egg-laying | Not laid above the waterline | Lays eggs above the waterline |
| Diet | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Native range | Fresh water worldwide | South America |
Ramshorn Snail vs Mystery Snail: common questions
Which is bigger, the ramshorn snail or the mystery snail?
The mystery snail is considerably bigger, ranking among the larger aquarium snails, while the ramshorn snail stays much smaller.
How do the breathing methods of the ramshorn snail and mystery snail differ?
The ramshorn snail relies on a simple lung alone, while the mystery snail has both gills and a lung, along with a breathing siphon it extends to the surface, giving it more flexibility across different water conditions.
Which snail is more likely to overpopulate a tank, the ramshorn or the mystery snail?
The ramshorn snail, which breeds very readily and can quickly multiply out of control, compared to the mystery snail, which reproduces less explosively.