Question about Apple snail eating Catfish

[carlovision]

Hmmm, I don't know if my question is ok for any of the forums or where to post it but here goes: Do either of these Apple Snail eating species of Catfish: Bunocephalus and Leiocassis exist natively in South Louisiana? And if not, could they exist in harmony with current ecology? And if harmonious, then do you know where they could be purchased for stocking?

[Silurus]

Neither of the genera you mention:

a. are native to Louisiana (or the US for that matter)

b. will eat apple snails

I am not even sure if you could find a catfish that would eat apple snails.

[Richard B]

Some doradids & synodontis (like Polli) will eat small apple snails. Neither are native to North America in fact no native North American catfish eat snails. Adding non-native species to a habitat is not only a bad idea it is most probably illegal

[Viktor Jarikov]

Welcome to the Planet!

Tell us more please of your plans and what you are trying to accomplish. About yourself too, your fish keeping. If you will.

[carlovision]

Apple Snail invasion of Southeastern Louisiana makes the News with an interview with Michael Massimi, invasive species coordinator for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program: http://www.fox8live.com/story/31603653/ ... -waterways

The snails eat aquatic vegetation, and there’s a worry about what will happen to the vegetation ducks eat and to the vegetation supporting fishing habitats if they continue to populate.

“Apple snails are indiscriminate. They are going to destroy fishing habitats and convert these wonderful streams into algae-ridden muddy water bottoms,” Massimi said. Massimi said the snails are now invading wild areas where critical wetlands exist.“Now, they’ve gotten out of the bayous. They’re in the National Wildlife Reserve, even in places south of the Gulf Inter-coastal Waterway,” Massimi said.

Hence my question. Thanks! Eagerly awaiting some solutions.

Meanwhile, Here is a list of Apple Snail predators worth asking you guys if they too live in Louisiana or not?

Fishes

Lepomis macrochirus (sunfish)
Botia sp. (clown loaches)
Tetraodon sp. (puffers)
Bunocephalus sp. and Leiocassis sp. (catfish)
various cichlids (Pseudotropheus sp., Melanochromis sp., Cichlasoma sp., Aequidens sp. and others)
various Gourami's (Osphronemus sp., Trichogaster sp. and others)
some Betta splendens (Betta Fish)
Mylopharyngodon piceus (Chinese carp)
other fish

Amphibians

Rana pipiens (leopard frog)
various salamanders

Crocodilians

Alligator sp.
Crocodylus sp.
Paleosuchus sp.
Caiman sp.
Reptiles

Dracaena guianensis (Caiman lizard)

Snakes

Natrix sp.
other snakes

Crayfishes

Procambarus sp.
other crustacea (which?)

Turtles
Sternotherus sp.
Kinosternon sp.
Pseudemys sp.
Trionyx sp.
Podocnemis sp.
Malaclemys sp.
Gopherus sp.
other turtles

Mammals
Neofiber alleni (water or musk rat)

Birds
Rostrhamus sociabilis (everglade kite)
Aramus guarauna (limpkins)
Lassidic mexicanus (boat-tailed grackles)
Anastomus lamelligenus (open-bill stork)
various ducks (LOVE TO KNOW WHICH?)

Background on me: My family owns some land in Terrebonne Parish. Thanks PlanetCatfish!

[Viktor Jarikov]

Interesting development of your question.

One thing that I've experienced myself is that we have a bird here - it looks close to an ibis, brown with small white spots, big ~ straight beak, size of a chicken and it is a relentless apple snail eating machine. Two years ago we have had thousands of these snails on our 10 acres, which feature 5 large ponds / lakes. Then this bird came by and decimated almost all, perhaps all but deeply buried ones. This year two of them came beginning of summer and brought 3 chicks with them and were finishing off the snails on our property and on the whole street.

Quick google says the bird is Limpkin:

[carlovision]

Limpkins look perfect. Wow, anyone here able to confirm this and can help me find a company who might be able to stock our property with Limpkins provided doing so is legal? Glad they worked in Naples FL. I bet they would do well in Terrebonne Parish.

And, yes if anyone can help find an indigenous animal that eats snails - a fish, reptile: turtles (Alligators do eat them), crustaceans (crawfish do) too then let me know.

[Dave Rinaldo]

Have you asked for suggestions from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries ?

https://www.facebook.com/ldwffb/

[Viktor Jarikov]

I don't know if wild Limpkins would stay in one spot. They either move on once they finish off all the snails or they are migratory altogether. We never see them in the dry/cool season. They may simply winter over in the Everglades. IDK. But man are they machines! The banks are literally covered in empty shells after they are done.

[naturalart]

I have to echo what Richard B says: I hope you resist introducing a non-native predator to deal with a non-native problem. Usually this concept just creates more problems; particularly for the natives.

Limpkins(Aramus guarauna) are great birds, problem is they are only occasionally seen in your area. It could be that they were extirpated through habitat lost and environmental degradation. Snail kite(Rostrhamus sociabilis) is another snail eater, but again, not naturally occuring in your area.

One sure fire way to cause a species to go extinct is for that species to have some characteristic that humans like or really dislike. For instance, if they taste really good in a recipe....(hint). Or they get into peoples camping gear and chew through kevlar or something.

[carlovision]

Thanks for the replies gang! The snails can't be eaten bc/ they carry deadly parasites not worth the risk of cooking them properly aka Rat Lung disease: "The Amazonian apple snail probably was dropped into the pond at some point after outgrowing someone’s aquarium. In snail-eating circles, it’s considered a delicacy, but it must be thoroughly cooked or it transmits a nasty lung parasite, as some 90 residents of Beijing, China, found out in 2006."

Viktor I am reading more about Limpkins here: http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/limpkin "In South America, may move around somewhat with wet and dry seasons. Permanent resident in limited range in United States. Strays have very rarely wandered farther north." Diet: "Large snails. Eats mostly large apple snails (genus Pomacea). In Florida, will also eat other kinds of snails and mussels; also sometimes insects, crustaceans, worms, frogs, lizards."

I have a feeler out to Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program who reported this to me (YOUR HELP APPRECIATED HERE TOO): "There is something eating apple snails out in our wetlands. And, whatever it is likes to stack the shells on the banks of the lakes and streams where it is feeding. Some of the BTNEP staff scientists speculate that it may be raccoons, or some Mustelid like a badger, weasel, marten, ferret, mink and or wolverine."

What nocturnal Mustelid is this???

[carlovision]

Any thoughts on the mystery Mustelid?

Turns out these fish: (not cats) but the Lepomis macrochirus (aka bluegill sunfish) are Snail Eating​ & native to lakes and rivers in the middle and eastern regions of North America (Fuller et al. 1999). It is not only popular as a game fish, but also commonly stocked as forage for the largemouth bass, Micropterus sal- moides.​ Thoughts about them?

Anyone know if the copper sulfate treatment of waters with the invasive Amazonian Apple Snails have hurt catfish notably in Alabama?

And finally, anyone know of websites where we may advertise our duck blind leases?

Thanks PlanetCatfish!

[naturalart]

There are a number of Lepomis sp. found in the U.S. I would research to see which species is most closely linked to your area. But before you do that I would make sure you don't have any amphibians breeding in your pond. If the answer is yes, and you release fish, there is a good chance you will loose those amphibians. Many fish eat eggs and juveniles.

I think They're are on the right track with a mustelid 'suspect': weasel, mink, otter. Raccoon for sure. Wouldn't rule out a rodent or bird either.

[Ltygress]

Procambarus Clarkii is a crayfish considered a nuisance in many parts of the world, but is native to Louisiana. So adding those certainly wouldn't break any laws, as they ARE native there. And they can get to be upwards of 5 inches long.

They may only eat the smaller snails, but it would help. They are also the primary species used for human consumption. That is HOW they have taken over so many non-native habitats worldwide. So just about anyone in Louisiana that sells live crayfish for food, would have them. Look for the orange tubercles (bumps) on their claws.

Although if for some odd reason, you can't find them, let me know. They have indeed begun to overpopulate the waters of my state (Georgia) and collection is 100% legal as a result. It's actually encouraged. So I could easily get a dozen or so and ship them to you!