Physa fontinalis, common name the common bladder snail, is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. The shells of species in the genus Physa are left-handed or sinistral.
| Physa fontinalis | |
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| Five shells of Physa fontinalis | |
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| Species: | P. fontinalis
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| Physa fontinalis | |
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Bulla fontinalis Linnaeus, 1758 (basionym) | |
Description edit
The shell is 7 to 12 mm high and 4 to 7 mm wide. The spiral has four to five whorls ( the last of which forms more than three-quarters of the shell height) and the apex is rounded. The shell is very thin-walled, translucent, shiny and is a pale horn colour. The aperture is wide and oval, and the mouth edge is very thin and brittle. The body color is brown to black. The edges of the mantle extend as finger-like lobes over the exterior of the shell. The tentacles are long, slender and cylindrical, with the eyes at the base. The foot is long and thin. Bladder snails are hermaphrodites.
Ecology edit
This species is an opportunist inhabiting streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, springs, canals and irrigation ditches. It occurs in both nutrient-poor and richly vegetated habitats. It may be found in (moderately) polluted water bodies.
Distribution edit
This species has a wide distribution in the western Palaearctic but confusion with similar species makes the eastern limits of its distribution uncertain. The range is probably Eurasian Boreo-temperate. Some ‘species’ found in North America may be conspecific in which case the range could be Circumpolar Boreo-temperate. This species is found in the Czech Republic,[2] Slovakia,[2] Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Croatia[3] and others.
Threats edit
Physa fontinalis is a Least Concern species.[4] but is included on National and Regional Red Lists.
References edit
- ^ Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 10th edition. - Vermes. Testacea: 700-781. Holmiae. (Salvius).
- ^ a b (in Czech) Horsák M., Juřičková L., Beran L., Čejka T. & Dvořák L. (2010). "Komentovaný seznam měkkýšů zjištěných ve volné přírodě České a Slovenské republiky. [Annotated list of mollusc species recorded outdoors in the Czech and Slovak Republics]". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca, Suppl. 1: 1-37. PDF.
- ^ Beran L. (2009). "The first record of Anisus vorticulus (Troschel, 1834) (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in Croatia?". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca 8: 70. PDF.
- ^ IUCN Red list
External links edit
- Physa fontinalis at Animalbase taxonomy,short description, distribution, biology,status (threats), images
- Identification of Freshwater and Brackish-water Snails of Britain and Ireland Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland online manual
- Physa fontinalis at National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
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