Biol Invasions Vol 11:2223–2232, 2009.

The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), is native to South America, but has invaded many Asian countries. As its numbers have increased, the golden apple snail has heavily grazed upon plant life. Limited methods have been found to control the snail population, but biocontrol may be a viable option. Some researchers have suggested that the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) could efficiently control the population, but the side effects of its usage are unknown.

Pak Ki Wong, King Lun Kwong, and Jian-Wen Qiu, of the Department of Biology at Hong Kong Baptist University, decided to engage in an 8-week study to determine whether the common carp could be used. They studied the carps’ effect on 3 aquatic macrophytes and 9 snails (including the golden apple snail). Results indicated the carp removed juvenile golden apple snails, but did not significantly affect the adult population. They concluded that it could be used to reduce the golden apple snail population, but hat caution be taken because if can affect other species too.