Snail invasion!
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Invasive Snail Found in Minn. Harbor

DULUTH, Minn. May 2, 2006 (AP)- A small, spiral-shaped snail that clones itself and is native to New Zealand has been discovered in Duluth-Superior Harbor and the St. Louis River estuary, raising concerns about the impact of another invasive species.

The snail, called the New Zealand mudsnail, is only about as large as a peppercorn when fully grown. But one snail and its offspring can generate hundreds of thousands of clones each year.

In some Western states, the mudsnail has displaced native insects, snails and other invertebrates that are important food for fish.

The mudsnails were first found in Idaho's Snake River in 1987, and have affected Rocky Mountain trout streams. They were first spotted in the Great Lakes in Lake Ontario in 1991.

More than 100 mudsnails were collected last fall in Duluth by Environmental Protection Agency researchers. The discovery, announced Monday, is the first finding of the tiny snail in Minnesota and Wisconsin waters.

Researchers suspect that they were carried into the Great Lakes via ship ballast water.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1915583