Review and Related Literature

Rice field snail

Pomacea bridgesii, is known in two varieties in the wild, which could turn out to be two

different species. The rare Pomacea bridgesii bridgesii and the Pomacea bridgesii diffusa

commonly known as Golden Apple Snails, are highly invasive and cause damage to rice crops..

Pomacea bridgesii bridgesii common name Apple Snail, Golden Mystery Snail subspecies

(Reeve, 1856) which is only known from the Rio Grande, Reyes River at Beni (bridges).

Pomacea bridgesii bridgesii is rather large (65mm shell height and more). Pomacea bridgesii

diffusa common name the spike-topped apple snail subspecies (Blume, 1957), which inhabits

almost the entire Amazon river system. Pomacea bridgesii diffusa is much smaller, has a much

more pronounced spire and a darker shell colour.

The colour variations in the snails are the result of mutations in several genes responsible

for the pigmentation of both the shell as well the body. In the natural (wild) type, the snail has a

dark body, and a dark-brown shell with dark spiral bands. As far known the shell has at least two

main pigments: the yellow base pigmentation and the brown to brown-reddish colur of the bands.

Both pigments are embbedded in the outer layer of the shell that consists of conchioline (a

protein). This conchioline also contributes to the shell colour, although not much and becomes

only visible in shells that lack further pigmentation (switch off all colour genes above and see

what is left). The body of the snail has at least one main, dark pigment that deterimines if the
body is dark or albino (colourless). Nevertheless it should be noted that even albino snails are not

completely white: the body still contains a yellowish-greenish colour, mainly condensed in small

spots. Snails that do not lack pigments will still vary in the amount of pigments they possess.

Many genes influence the expression of single genes so that the intensity of expression can vary

even for normal treats. For example, in humans that are not albino, the darkness of the skin is

widely variable and influenced by a multitude of genes. So even normal snails may be darker or

lighter than their normal siblings. The mutations that cause 'knockouts' of gene functions can

wipe the entire pathway to the pigment and none at all is produced.