Woman alarmed to see golden apple snail eggs at Lower Seletar Reservoir, calls for action

Clusters of invasive golden apple snail eggs cover rocks at Lower Seletar Reservoir bank

A woman has warned of danger after seeing large clusters of tiny pink eggs covering the rocks of the Lower Seletar Reservoir water bank.

Alarmed to see the golden apple snail eggs, she called for national water agency PUB to clear them.

Golden apple snail eggs scattered everywhere at reservoir

Posting on the Nature Society Singapore Facebook group on Saturday (5 Oct), Ms Elsa Xu said she took in the surreal sight when she was taking a walk with her daughter that day.

The golden apple snail eggs were “scattered everywhere”, she added.

Photos she shared showed what appeared to be hundreds of pink egg clusters covering the rocks along the bank. They were even hanging on the reeds.

She also saw several snail shells inside a plastic bag.

Woman reports matter to PUB

Describing the situation as “alarming”, Ms Xu said:

I believe immediate action is needed to address this issue and remove the eggs.

She has brought the matter to PUB’s attention by emailing the agency, she added.

Netizens joke that they are ‘mentaiko’ & ‘escargot’

Some netizens quipped that the eggs were “mentaiko” while others joked that they could be eaten as “escargot”.

In seriousness, many identified the eggs as toxic and those who come into contact with them should wash their hands thoroughly. Those with children or pets should be especially cautious.

Thus, one netizen advised her to crush the eggs with a stone or glass bottle.

A netizen also blamed those who released non-native species into the ecosystem.

Golden apple snail eggs previously seen at reservoir in 2021

This isn’t the first time golden apple snail eggs have been seen at Lower Seletar Reservoir.

In 2021, another woman spotted large numbers of them at the same place, a sight that she said gave her goosebumps.

Shortly after her post went viral, PUB said in a Facebook post that the eggs had been removed.

It said the eggs are regularly removed by PUB and the National Parks Board (NParks) as part of their maintenance works in nature areas and reservoirs.

Golden apple snail eggs don’t affect the water quality of our reservoirs, PUB added. But it reminded the public that releasing animals into Singapore’s reservoirs could upset the aquatic ecosystem of our waters.

Golden apple snails are pests with toxic eggs

Golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) are a non-native freshwater mollusc mostly found in urbanised freshwater habitats, such as reservoirs and ponds, PUB also said.

According to the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD), they are pests originally from South America that were introduced to Southeast Asia in 1980.

They are considered the No. 1 pests of rice crops as they have decimated fields across the region. The snail is listed among the top 100 most invasive alien species in the world.

According to GISD,

Their presence is often first noted by observation of their bright pink egg masses laid on solid surfaces up to about 50cm above the water surface.

They’re also filled with powerful toxins, which means almost all animals can’t eat them.

An average cluster contains 200-600 eggs.

In 2014, apple snail’s eggs also sprouted on the banks of the Whampoa River, causing concern to nearby residents, AsiaOne reported.

MS News has reached out to PUB for more information.

Also read: PUB Clears ‘Mentaiko’ Eggs At Lower Seletar Reservoir, Reminds Public Not To Release Animals

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Featured images adapted from Elsa Xu via Nature Society Singapore on Facebook.