common bubble snail vs small tortoiseshell

Akera bullata compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• common bubble snail is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common bubble snail	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mollusca (Moluscos)	Arthropoda (artrópode)
Class	Gastropoda (Gastrópodes)	Insecta (inseto)
Order	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Akeridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Akera	Aglais
Species	Akera bullata	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

common bubble snail and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

common bubble snail

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common bubble snail	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common bubble snail

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

small tortoiseshell

A borboleta-urtiga-pequena (Aglais urticae) esta classificada como Quase Ameacada (NT) na Lista Vermelha da UICN. Proxima de se qualificar como ameacada, com populacoes que podem se tornar vulneraveis sem acoes de conservacao.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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