Viviparidae

Viviparidae
Temporal range: Aptian[1]-Recent
Viviparus contectus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda

informal group Architaenioglossa

Superfamily: Viviparoidea
Family: Viviparidae
J. E. Gray, 1847[2]
Subfamilies
  • Bellamyinae
  • Lioplacinae
  • Viviparinae
Diversity
125-150 freshwater species[3]

Viviparidae, sometimes known as the river snails or mystery snails, are a family of large operculate freshwater snails, aquatic gastropod mollusks.

This family is classified in the informal group Architaenioglossa according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005.

Contents

Distribution

This family occurs nearly worldwide in temperate and tropical regions, with the exception that they are absent from South America.

There are two genera of Viviparidae in Africa: Bellamya and Neothauma.[4]

Taxonomy

The family Viviparidae contains 3 subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):

Genera

Genera within the family Viviparidae include:

subfamily Viviparinae

subfamily Bellamyinae

subfamily Lioplacinae

subfamily ?

Life cycle

Life spans have been reported from 3 to 11 years in various species of Viviparidae.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Kear B. P., Hamilton-Bruce R. J., Smith B. J. & Gowlett-Holmes K. L. (2003). "Reassessment of Australia's oldest freshwater snail, Viviparus (?) albascopularis Etheridge, 1902 (Mollusca : Gastropoda : Viviparidae), from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian, Wallumbilla Formation) of White Cliffs, New South Wales". Molluscan Research 23(2): 149-158. doi:10.1071/MR03003, PDF.
  2. ^ Gray J. E. (November 1847) (1833). "A list of genera of Recent Mollusca, their synonyma and types". Proceedings of the Zoological Society in London, 15: 129-182. Viviparidae at page 155.
  3. ^ Strong E. E., Gargominy O., Ponder W. F. & Bouchet P. (2008). "Global Diversity of Gastropods (Gastropoda; Mollusca) in Freshwater". Hydrobiologia 595: 149-166. http://hdl.handle.net/10088/7390 doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9012-6.
  4. ^ a b Brown D. S. (1994). Freshwater Snails of Africa and their Medical Importance. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0 7484 0026 5.
  5. ^ a b c (file created 29 July 2010) FRESH WATER MOLLUSCAN SPECIES IN INDIA. 11 pp. accessed 31 July 2010.
  6. ^ Sivan N., Heller J. & van Damme D. (November 2006) "Fossil Viviparidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Levant" Journal of Conchology 39(2): 207-220. abstract
  7. ^ a b Hamilton-Bruce R. J., Smith B. J. & Gowlett-Holmes K. L. (2002). "Descriptions of a new genus and two new species of viviparid snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Viviparidae) from the Early Cretaceous (middle-late Albian) Griman Creek Formation of Lightning Ridge, northern New South Wales". Records of the South Australian Museum 35': 193–203. PDF
  8. ^ River Snail (Notopala sublineata). accessed 26 September 2010
  9. ^ Heller J. (1990) "Longevity in molluscs". Malacologia 31(2): 259-295.

External links