Bitter Scalewort vs common bubble snail

Porella arboris-vitae compared with Akera bullata

Key Differences

Bitter Scalewort is Vulnerable while common bubble snail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Scalewort	common bubble snail
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Porellales (Porellales)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Porellaceae	Akeridae
Genus	Porella	Akera
Species	Porella arboris-vitae	Akera bullata

Conservation Status

Bitter Scalewort

VU — Vulnerable

common bubble snail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Scalewort	common bubble snail
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Scalewort

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

common bubble snail

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Bitter Scalewort

The Bitter Scalewort (Porella arboris-vitae) is a species in the genus Porella. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.