Clea spinosa

Clea spinosa
Conservation status

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda

clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda

Superfamily: Buccinoidea
Family: Buccinidae
Genus: Clea
Subgenus: Anentome
Species: C. spinosa
Binomial name
Clea spinosa
Temcharoen, 1971

Clea spinosa[2] is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine.[3][4]

Distribution

This Southeast Asian species is currently known from a less than 50 km² big area along the Mekong River, between Khong Island in Laos and Bandan (Ban Dan Ky) in Cambodia.[5]

Feeding habits

Like all snails in the clade Neogastropoda, this species is carnivorous. It feeds on different types of worms and gastropods, often eating other, larger snails after burying themselves and ambushing their prey.[4]

Reproduction

Clea spinosa consists of defined male and female genders, and are not capable of gender change. It is unknown as to how to sex these animals. Both male and female seem to be the same size and shape. When a male and female mate, they lock together for eight to twelve hours.

References

  1. Rintelen, T. (2011). "Clea spinosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  2. Clea spinosa at the Catalogue of Life
  3. Bouchet, P.; Fraussen, K. (2013). "Clea – H. Adams & A. Adams, 1855". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Monks, Neale (2009). "Assassin Snails and Sulawesi Elephant Snails: Keeping Clea and Tylomelania in the aquarium". Conscientious Aquarist Magazine 6 (4). Retrieved March 11, 2014. Clea are whelks, most of which live in the sea. Like their marine relatives, Clea are opportunistic carnivores that feed on both live prey and carrion. Among the prey taken are snails, and it is this that has made them popular with fishkeepers. Clea stay partially hidden under the sediment, and if a snail slides past, then quickly (by snail standards) jump into action, chasing their prey and eventually subduing it.
  5. Clea spinosa at the Encyclopedia of Life