Ampullariidae

Freshwater Molluscan Shells / Ampullariidae

Commonly seen in aquaria, the Ampullariidae are the large apple snails of the tropics world wide. Please visit the apple snail site (http://www.applesnail.net) for extensive information on this family.

Pomacea; widespread in South America, Florida
Marisa; widespread in South America
Asolene; northern South America and Parana River basin
Felipponea; lower Parana River
Pila; widespread in Africa, India, Southeast Asia
Lanistes; widespread in Africa
Saulea; west Africa
Afropomus; west Africa
Forbesopomus; Lake Lanao, Philippines

Asia

Pila ampullacea
(Linnaeus, 1758),
Bali. Pila polita
(Deshayes, 1830),
Thailand.

Africa

Pilsbry and Bequaert (1927) in their review of the African freshwater fauna include

Pila: 21 species + 2 additional subspecies
Lanistes Subgenus Lanistes: 23 species + 3 additional subspecies
Lanistes Subgenus Meladomus: 20 species + 9 additional subspecies and varieties
Saulea: 1 species
Afropomus: 1 species.

Some of their illustrations are included below, courtesy American Museum of Natural History.

Pila ovata (G. Oliver, 1804)
central Africa. Pila wernei (Philippi, 1851)
Cental Africa rivers, under water-lily pads. Pila leopoldvillensis (Putzeys,
1898) P. congoensis, Pilsbry and
Bequaert (1927) is similar, with
narrower aperture. To 100 mm.

Lanistes varicus Muller, 1774. Southwest Africa. Lanistes is not
truly sinistral, but instead, "hyperstrophic." It might be described as a
dextral shell that spirals upward as it grows, instead of downward,
such that the spire has become the umbilicus, and vice-versa. Lanistes ovum Peters,
1845, Central African
lakes.

Lanistes bicarinatus, Germain, 1907
Leopoldville, 39 mm.
Lanistes intortus (Lamarck 1822)
30 mm, from Zambi, Malela, and Banana.

Lanistes procerus langi Pilsbry and
Bequaert 1927

Salea vitrea
(Born, 1780) Afropomus balanoideus
(Gould, 1850)

Western Hemisphere

Asolene scalaris
Lamarck, Uruguay. Asolene megastoma
neritoidea Sowerby, 1825
Uruguay. Mature shell. Pomacea lineata
(Spix, 1827), Brazil.

Pomacea canaliculata
(Lamarck, 1819), SE.
South America, common in
aquariums, invasive in SE.
Asia, Japan, Australia, Hawaii. Pomacea paludosa
(Say, 1829), Florida, USA. Pomacea papyraceus
(Spix, 1827), South America.

Pomacea insularum
d'Orbigny, 1835, Uruguay. Felipponea neritiformis
Dall, 1919, Brazil.

Pomacea bridgesii (Reeve, 1856). Large mature shell. Amazon Basin.
Farmed locally and eaten as "churo". Small banded individuals common in aquaria.

Marisa cornuarietis (Linnaeus 1758), Florida, USA,
native to South America, also introduced into Africa.

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Asolene scalaris Lamarck, Uruguay.	Asolene megastoma neritoidea Sowerby, 1825 Uruguay. Mature shell.	Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827), Brazil.


Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1819), SE. South America, common in aquariums, invasive in SE. Asia, Japan, Australia, Hawaii.	Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829), Florida, USA.	Pomacea papyraceus (Spix, 1827), South America.


Pomacea insularum d'Orbigny, 1835, Uruguay.	Felipponea neritiformis Dall, 1919, Brazil.


Pila ampullacea (Linnaeus, 1758), Bali.		Pila polita (Deshayes, 1830), Thailand.


Pila ovata (G. Oliver, 1804) central Africa.		Pila wernei (Philippi, 1851) Cental Africa rivers, under water-lily pads.		Pila leopoldvillensis (Putzeys, 1898) P. congoensis, Pilsbry and Bequaert (1927) is similar, with narrower aperture. To 100 mm.


Lanistes varicus Muller, 1774. Southwest Africa. Lanistes is not truly sinistral, but instead, "hyperstrophic." It might be described as a dextral shell that spirals upward as it grows, instead of downward, such that the spire has become the umbilicus, and vice-versa.				Lanistes ovum Peters, 1845, Central African lakes.

Lanistes bicarinatus, Germain, 1907 Leopoldville, 39 mm.		Lanistes intortus (Lamarck 1822) 30 mm, from Zambi, Malela, and Banana.
				Lanistes procerus langi Pilsbry and Bequaert 1927


Salea vitrea (Born, 1780)		Afropomus balanoideus (Gould, 1850)


Pomacea bridgesii (Reeve, 1856). Large mature shell. Amazon Basin. Farmed locally and eaten as "churo". Small banded individuals common in aquaria.