Pomacea canaliculata, Thailand. Pomacea canaliculata is a freshwater snail native to Argentina. It was transported to Asia as a proposed food source because it reproduces much faster than the local Apple Snails, species of the genus Pila. However, the local Asians, not liking the taste and consistency of Pomacea meat, preferring Pila instead, discarded their Pomatia snails into local ditches, streams and ponds. Unfortunately, Pomacea is a voracious eater of young rice seedlings, whereas Pila is not. So far there is no control for Pomacea in Asia. Pomacea canaliculata is yellow in color (both shell and animal), but its common name in Asia comes from it being called the "golden snail" by the Philippine government when they introduced it - "gold in your own back yard," referring to the cottage industry they had hoped to initiate. The snail shown here is in the process of laying eggs, which have a distinctive pink color. Both Pomatia and Pila lay their eggs out of water. The eggs of Pila are white.

Dr. John B. Burch, Ph.D. (photographer, copyright holder), Mollusk Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan