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 (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Mollusca (моллюски)	Arthropoda (членистоногие)
Class	Gastropoda (брюхоногие)	Insecta (насекомые)
Order	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)	Lepidoptera (чешуекрылые)
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. (животные)

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

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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