Good (hao, meaning special can eat)
The Chinese of the Pomacea canaliculata is the large bottle snail, which belongs to the gastropod gastropod gastropod conch family, native to South America (and South America), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and other countries are their natural distribution. In the aquarium market, Fushou snail has a popular trade name - apple snail, which is derived from their English name: Apple snail (or Golden Apple snail). From the outside, the Fushou snail is indeed like an apple, short conical, the shell is rotated to the right, the first four layers are very dense, and the last layer suddenly enlarges, and there are air bags on the back of the shell, which can assist breathing and help the Fushou snail float on the surface of the water, and the color ranges from yellow to yellow-brown. The fushou snail is several times larger than the ordinary field snail, and has two pairs of antennae on the head, with long posterior antennae and eyes on the outside.
Unlike the African giant snail introduced earlier, the Fushou snail lives in water. Image: Tridentino
Fushou snails breathe with gills, usually in paddy fields, ponds, because they are more sensitive to temperature, usually at night to carry out various activities. Unlike the hermaphroditic African large snail, the Fushou snail is hermaphroditic. The male snail climbs on the back of the female in the water and completes mating.
Fushou snail in mating. Image: Tridentino
After mating, the females climb to about 15-20 cm above the water surface to lay their eggs, which accumulate into egg clumps. A female snail can lay thousands of eggs a year and hatch up to 90%. The eggs of Fushou snail are well identified, and are bright red when they are first born, and become pinkish in color over time. On the stems of aquatic plants, on stones near water, you can see piles of red Fushou snail eggs. These eggs are not in the water, and this method of spawning avoids the threat of some aquatic predators.
Egg mass of Fushou snail. Image: Tridentino
The snail has all the characteristics of invasive species: fast reproduction, few natural enemies, and a miscellaneous diet. Directly threatened by the snail are various aquatic plants, which are also closely related to humans. The most important aquatic crop is, of course, rice, and from the seedlings of rice, the Fushou snail begins to nibble on it. When the rice was harvested and the weather was cold, the Fushou snail dived into the ground and went into a dormant state, and continued to move and multiply after the water was stored. In addition to rice, aquatic plants such as russet, taro, diamond horn, and hollow cabbage are also common victims. For the peasants, the Fushou snail can neither add blessing nor longevity, and only brings endless troubles.
In 1981, Fushou snail was first introduced to China, when it was farmed as a high-protein economic animal. However, the good times did not last long, because the taste and market were not good, and the Fushou snail was abandoned into the wild, and soon began to flood, spreading to most parts of China in just a few decades. (The calendar lady, however, insists they are delicious.)
In addition to the harm to agricultural production, Fushou snail also poses a threat to human health. Fushou snail is an intermediate host for parasites such as Guangzhou tube roundworm and curled spiny mouth fluke. In 2006, more than 70 people in Beijing caused Guangzhou roundworm disease due to raw food Fushou snail, which caused a sensation in the country, and for a time people talked about "snail" discoloration. Since then, similar reports have been reported every year. Strongyloides can invade the nervous system and lungs of the human brain, causing organ damage, nerve damage and even respiratory failure. Although it sounds terrible, as long as it is not eaten raw, the snail is cooked thoroughly, and these risks can be avoided.