The most popular gastropod pets
today are the large and gaudy ampullariids, generally
labeled “apple snails” in the aquarium shops,
but sometimes also called “mystery snails” (Perera
and Walls 1996). Twenty years ago, the most
common species was the North American native
P. paludosa. More recently, the South American
P. bridgesi (Reeve, 1856) has achieved widespread
popularity by virtue of the marvelous color varieties
available. Clever and enterprising breeders have
brought to market diverse colors of shell and body
bearing such names as “golden,” “ivory,” “blue,”
and “tuxedo.” Also more recently available in
pet shops is the “Giant Peruvian” or “Inca” snail,
Pomacea maculata (Perry, 1810).