The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a warning about the presence of invasive Chinese or Japanese Mystery Snails in Lake Lanier.
Jim Page, DNR Wildlife Resources Division Aquatic Nuisance Division Coordinator, tells 11Alive boaters and fishermen are asked to help prevent the spread of these invasive snails by following guidelines to avoid introducing them into new waterbodies.
He says the snail’s presence in various U.S. food markets as well as its popularity as an aquarium pet prevent them from determining how the animal ended up in the wild.
Recent regulatory changes prohibit Georgians from having the Mystery Snails due to the potential ecological and economic consequences of their presence in Georgia’s waters.
(Georgia News Network contributed to this story.)
(Photo courtesy Maryland Biodiversity Project. Maryland Biodiversity Project – Japanese Mystery Snail (Cipangopaludina japonica) )