pond snail; river snail
Refers to freshwater snails of the family Viviparidae, commonly found in ponds and rice paddies in Japan.
I found a pond snail in the rice paddy.
タニシは水質をきれいにするのに役立つ。
Pond snails help keep the water clean.
Usually written in katakana in biological contexts and everyday use; the kanji form 田螺 is rare.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 田螺 literally means 'rice-field spiral shell', reflecting its habitat.