cavernous crystalwort vs common bubble snail

Riccia cavernosa compared with Akera bullata

Key Differences

• cavernous crystalwort is Endangered while common bubble snail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	cavernous crystalwort	common bubble snail
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Marchantiopsida (Marchantiopsida)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Marchantiales (Marchantiales)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Ricciaceae	Akeridae
Genus	Riccia	Akera
Species	Riccia cavernosa	Akera bullata

Conservation Status

cavernous crystalwort

EN — Endangered

common bubble snail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	cavernous crystalwort	common bubble snail
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

cavernous crystalwort

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Endangered 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.

cavernous crystalwort

The Cavernous crystalwort (Riccia cavernosa) is a species in the genus Riccia. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America and South America, 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden