Physella

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Physella
Physella acuta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Superorder: Heterobranchia
Order: Pulmonata
Superfamily: Planorboidea
Family: Physidae
Genus: Physella
Haldeman, 1842

Physella is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae.

These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus.

[edit] Shell description

These small snails are quite distinctive, because they have shells that are sinistral, which means that if you hold the shell such that the spire is pointing up, then the aperture is on the left-hand side.

The shells of Physella species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum. The shells are thin and corneous and rather transparent.

[edit] Species

Species in the genus include

  • Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805)
  • Physella ancillaria (Say, 1825)
  • Physella bermudezi (Aguayo, 1935)
  • Physella bottimeri (Clench, 1924)
  • Physella boucardi (Crosse et P. Fischer, 1881)
  • Physella columbiana (Hemphill, 1890)
  • Physella conoidea (P. Fischer et Crosse, 1886)
  • Physella cooperi (Tryon, 1865)
  • Physella costata (Newcomb, 1861)
  • Physella cubensis (Pfeiffer, 1839)
  • Physella globosa (Haldeman, 1841)
  • Physella gyrina (Say, 1821)
  • Physella hendersoni (Clench, 1925)
  • Physella heterostropha (Say, 1817)
  • Physella hordacea (I. Lea, 1864)
  • Physella humerosa (Gould, 1855)
  • Physella integra (Haldeman, 1841)
  • Physella johnsoni (Clench, 1926)
  • Physella lordi (Baird, 1863)
  • Physella magnalacustris (Walker, 1901)
  • Physella mexicana (Philippi, 1841)
  • Physella microstriata (Chamberlin et E. G. Berry, 1930)
  • Physella osculans (Haldeman, 1841)
  • Physella parkeri (Currier, 1881)
  • Physella propinqua (Tryon, 1865)
  • Physella sayi
  • Physella spelunca (Turner et Clench, 1974)
  • Physella squalida (Morelet, 1851)
  • Physella traski (I. Lea, 1864)
  • Physella utahensis (Clench, 1925)
  • Physella vinosa (Gould, 1847)
  • Physella virgata (Gould, 1855)
  • Physella virginea (Gould, 1847)
  • Physella wrighti Te et Clarke, 1985
  • Physella zionis (Pilsbry, 1926)

[edit] References


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