Arctic barrel-bubble vs common bubble snail

Retusa obtusa compared with Akera bullata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic barrel-bubble	common bubble snail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class same	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Cephalaspidea (Cephalaspidea)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Retusidae	Akeridae
Genus	Retusa	Akera
Species	Retusa obtusa	Akera bullata

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic barrel-bubble and common bubble snail share a common ancestor at the Class level: Gastropoda. (Gastropoda)

Conservation Status

Arctic barrel-bubble

LC — Least Concern

common bubble snail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic barrel-bubble	common bubble snail
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic barrel-bubble

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

common bubble snail

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Arctic barrel-bubble

The Arctic barrel-bubble (Retusa obtusa) is a species in the genus Retusa. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

common bubble snail

The common bubble snail (<em>Akera bullata</em>) is a marine gastropod mollusc found in the coastal waters of Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. This species typically inhabits terrestrial and aquatic environments including forests and freshwater-adjacent marine areas, often occurring in shallow subtidal and intertidal zones of temperate European seas. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. As a member of the family Akeridae, the common bubble snail is characterized by its thin, fragile shell and its ability to swim briefly by flapping its large, wing-like parapodia. The species often forages on algae and detritus in sandy and muddy seafloor habitats, particularly in sheltered bays and estuaries. The common bubble snail typically aggregates in large numbers during the spawning season, producing gelatinous egg masses. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden