(Melanoides Tuberculatus)— a Snail in Biscayne National Park, Florida
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Red-Rimmed Melania (Melanoides tuberculatus) — A Snail in Biscayne National Park, Florida— Harmful Invader or Just a Nuisance? Potentially harmful to humans and What We Know about Why should you be concerned? other animals, the red-rimmed melania snail Melanoides tuberculatus First, human health issues. Nobody (Melanoides tuberculatus; family Thiaridae) wants to be home to liver or lung flukes. was discovered in Biscayne National Park, How did Melanoides tuberculatus get here? In Asia, where Melanoides tuberculatus Florida, in 2003 by U.S. Geological Survey Melanoides tuberculatus is native is native, the snails are part of the (USGS) researchers (figs. 1, 2; box on p. 2). to tropical and subtropical regions of complex life cycle of several species of The discovery raised concerns for park Africa and Asia (Clench, 1969). Specifics parasitic trematode worms, including managers because this aquatic non-native of how and when M. tuberculatus got liver flukes—Clonorchis sinensis, snail is present in significant numbers in to the United States are not known, but Opisthorchis spp., and Haplorchis areas frequently used by park visitors and Murray (1971) and Roessler and others spp.—and a lung fluke—Paragonimus poses a risk of exposure. Researchers are (1977) believed it was through the aquar- westermani. The life cycle of these addressing questions such as: Is this species ium trade. The species was first reported trematode parasites (fig. 3) involves a danger to human health? How wide- in Arizona in the 1950s (Murray, 1971; both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts; spread is it within the park? What factors Dundee, 1974) and in south Florida in for example, humans, fish, snails, and control the distribution of the species? Is 1971 (Russo, 1973). By 1977, it had crustaceans (such as crabs, crayfish, and its presence a threat to native animals? reached areas adjacent to Biscayne shrimp). The cycle continues when a Bay (Roessler and others, 1977). The person (or alternate host such as a bird known distribution of the species in the or raccoon) eats raw or undercooked fish United States is shown in figure 2. or crab that has been infected. 1 mm Eggs expelled in feces Adult Adult worms are worms ingested and 1 mm 1 mm Wingard, USGS Photographs by G. Lynn infect mammals or birds Figure 1. Juvenile and adult Melanoides tuberculatus. This non-native species shows many variations and can be easily confused Proper food preparation with native snails. mm, millimeter. stops cycle here for humans Free-swimming life stage—Miracidium Biscayne Free-swimming life National Miracidiae stage of Metacercariae stage of the stage—Cercariae Park the trematode enters trematode develops in Melanoides tuberculatus crustacean or fish Figure 2. Known U.S. distribution of and larvae develop MelanoidesFigure 2. Known tuberculatus U.S. distribution as of April of 2006; theMelanoides non-native tuberculatus snail may as have of April expanded 2006; itsthe range non-native from snailthe areas may have shown. expanded Map Figure 3. Generalized life cycle of trematodes that infect Melanoides tuberculatus and other its range from the areas shown. Map aquatic snails. Hosts differ at each stage, depending on the species of trematode. Trematodes courtesycourtesy ofof A.J.A.J. Benson, Benson, USGS; USGS; adapted adapted fromfrom http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/ are parasitic worms (also called “flukes”) that can cause illness in humans and other animals. SpeciesList.asp?Group=Mollusks.http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpeciesList. Proper food preparation can prevent humans from being infected. asp?Group=Mollusks U.S. Department of the Interior Printed on recycled paper Fact Sheet 2008–3006 U.S. Geological Survey May 2008 How do we collect our samples and what happens to them? What are 1 2 you up to? 4 5 6 Samples are collected (1) in the field in 3 Biscayne National Park (fig. 4) by using a petite ponar device while being supervised by local wildlife (brown pelican). Samples are sieved immediately in specially designed buckets (2). The samples are placed in plastic 1 cm bags with some of the water from the site to keep the snails alive. Back in our lab at the U.S. Geological Survey, after all live Dried samples are then sorted under a microscope (4 and 5) to specimens have been removed from samples, remove the Melanoides tuberculatus debris (animals not alive the samples are washed through sieves to when sample was collected). M. tuberculatus specimens are remove any mud (3), then dried. lined up on specimen trays, arranged by size, and counted (6). Some live M. tuberculatus are selected for DNA analysis (7) by polymerase chain reactions (PCR), or they are tested for their salinity tolerance in experimental tanks (8). 7 8 In the 1970s, some researchers a potential host for others. Centrocestus Because B. minima and M. tubercula- (Murray, 1971; Roessler and others, formosanus is a trematode parasite that tus co-exist in Biscayne Bay, there is a 1977) thought the risk to human health burrows into the gills of fish and then potential for the parasite to expand from from these parasites was minimal in the enters mammals or birds that consume one host species to an alternate, previ- United States because sewage treatment the fish. Centrocestus causes losses of ously unaffected, host population. and food preparation methods would over $3 million annually to ornamental Third, potential displacement of prevent the spread of infection. The fish producers and has been found on native species. A new, prolific species advent of more ethnic and diversified fish in the wild in Texas, Florida, and that can out-compete native species methods of food preparation in recent Utah (Mitchell, 2005). Haplorchis spp., for food sources could cause serious decades (Simonne and others, 2004), another parasite present in M. tubercula- ecological damage (Murray, 1971; however, in creases the chances of live tus, infects the muscle tissue of fish. Roessler and others, 1977; Mitchell, parasite ingestion. Infection by the lung Other parasites are not yet known to 2005). Melanoides tuberculatus has fluke (Paragonimus) has been docu- include Melanoides tuberculatus in their been found in Florida in densities of mented in people in the United States life cycles but are cause for concern. The 10,000 per square meter at St. Johns River (Stoll, 1947; Mariano and others, 1986; trematode parasite Philophthalmus mega- (Thompson, 2004) and 23,000 per square DeFrain and Hooker, 2002). Parasite lurus affects the eyes of birds, including meter near Coral Gables (Roessler and infections can last for years (Stauffer and waterfowl, exposed to M. tuberculatus others, 1977). M. tuberculatus (and other others, 2004), increasing the chances of while feeding in the shallow waters members of the family Thiaridae) can the host passing infectious materials on of Biscayne Bay. These parasites can reproduce asexually; thus, a single snail and starting the life cycle again. potentially adapt to new animal hosts. is all it takes to populate a new area, and Second, animal health issues. Penner and Fried (1963) found a marine the reproductive rates are extremely high. Trematode flukes affect waterfowl, fish, species of Philophthalmus along the In addition, M. tuberculatus snails do not and other animals (including humans). Gulf Coast of Florida to Key West that lay eggs, but brood their young internally; Melanoides tuberculatus is a known utilizes another snail—Batillaria minima this reproductive strategy may also give host for several of these parasites and (West Indian false cerith)—as its host. them an advantage over native species. 2 80°25'W 80°20'W 80°15'W Cutler Drain Canal Biscayne National Park Boundary 25°35'N Transect at Black Point follows channel out from shore B l a c k C re e k C a na l Water Treatment Facility Landfill Goulds Canal Black Point Princeton Canal Florida Turnpike 25°30'N Homestead Air Force Base Alabama Georgia Atlantic Military Canal Ocean Florida Gulf of Mexico Mowry Canal North Canal Convoy Point FLA City Canal Area of enlarged map Turkey Point 25°25'N EXPLANATION Melanoides tuberculatus Biscayne detected in field surveys National Park Alive Shell debris Figure 4. Satellite image showing location of sites in and near Biscayne National Park, Florida, where Melanoides tuberculatus snails (live and debris) were found during field surveys conducted by the USGS between October 2004 and July 2007. Inset at upper left shows part of transect at Black Point. Inset maps at right show location of larger view. Base image is a mosaic of Landsat orthorectified data obtained from the USGS EROS Data Center. Photograph of Black Point by James B. Murray, USGS. 3 How do conditions in south Florida increase increasingly abundant at Black Point the potential for Melanoides tuberculatus (fig. 5). The estimated number of M. tuber- to affect human and animal health? culatus snails per square meter approaches The potential danger to human health 60,000 on the Black Point transect at site and animal health is increased by the TR4, which is about 500 meters offshore. presence of Melanoides tuberculatus in In order to determine how many south Florida because conditions here introductions of Melanoides tuberculatus favor the parasitic life cycle shown in have taken place in Biscayne Bay, we figure 3. First, the are analyzing mitochondrial DNA from Wingard, USGS Bird photographs by G. Lynn potential snail, fish, selected locations. Analysis of samples and crustacean hosts from Black Creek Canal and site TR2 are present in large num- on the Black Point transect show that bers. Second, many activities the two populations are indistinguish- bring people and animals into able. This finding suggests that the contact with the hosts. Fish and population at Black Point is the result of shellfish are popular food sources a single introduction of one clonal type of in the region and are sometimes M.