What do river snails eat? Understanding the diet of river snails in one article

The river snail is the collective name for the genus Margarya in the family Viviparidae, order Mesogastropoda, phylum Mollusca. It is a genus endemic to China, distributed in the lakes of Yunnan and Jiangsu, crawling along the lake bottom on its broad foot. Its meat is delicious, and the "snail yellow" (male reproductive gland) is especially a delicacy people love to eat. Now let us take a look at what river snails eat!

What do river snails eat

River snails are omnivorous, feeding on microorganisms in the water, tender stems and leaves of aquatic plants, or organic debris.

Living habits of river snails

1. Reproductive habits: River snails are dioecious, and males and females can also be distinguished externally by the shape of their antennae. They are viviparous; the eggs are fertilized and develop in the brood pouch of the mother, and are only released after growing into young. Each brood generally contains 3-7 embryos, and they reproduce all year round, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter alike.

2. Habitat environment: The habitat of river snails requires warmth in winter and coolness in summer, soft bottom soil, and abundant food organisms in the water. The most suitable growth water temperature is around 20-25°C. When the water temperature reaches below 15°C and above 30°C, they stop feeding activity; when it is below 10°C, they burrow into the soil and enter a hibernation state; when the water temperature returns to above 15°C, they emerge from their burrows and feed again.

The difference between river snails and field snails

Many people think that river snails are field snails, and field snails are river snails, but in fact they are two closely related species that are simply similar in many respects.

1. Different origins: River snails are found only in China, while field snails are distributed almost all over the world.

2. Different shells: The shell surface of river snails is not as smooth as that of field snails, and has many spiral ribbed lines on it, while the shell of field snails has no ribbed lines.

3. Different sizes: Field snails can grow very large, while river snails generally do not grow large.

4. Different habits: River snails live crawling along the bottom of the water and must be caught with specially made trawl nets, while field snails prefer to live on the shore or in paddy fields.

5. Number of offspring: River snails can only give birth to 3-7 young snails per brood, while field snails can give birth to several dozen per brood.

6. Breeding season: River snails reproduce continuously all year round, while field snails only begin to reproduce in March-April each year.