Banbury Springs lanx
Encyclopedia
The Banbury Springs lanx, or Banbury Springs limpet, is a rare species
of freshwater snail
, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae
. First discovered in 1988, the species has not yet been officially described, and therefore it does not yet have a formal scientific name.
, where it is known from a 10-kilometer stretch of the Snake River
. In 1992 it was federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States.
It is found in four complexes of springs
along the Snake River in south-central Idaho: Thousand Springs, Box Canyon Springs, Banbury Springs, and Briggs Springs.
red in color. The shell is conical in shape. It is up to 7.1 millimeters long by 6 wide and up to 4.3 millimeters tall.
This snail is similar in its morphology to species in the genus Lanx, but genetic analysis
reveals that it is genetically more similar to the genus Fisherola.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of freshwater snail
Freshwater snail
A freshwater snail is one kind of freshwater mollusc, the other kind being freshwater clams and mussels, i.e. freshwater bivalves. Specifically a freshwater snail is a gastropod that lives in a watery non-marine habitat. The majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions....
, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae
Lymnaeidae
Lymnaeidae is a taxonomic family of small to large air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks, that belong to the clade Hygrophila....
. First discovered in 1988, the species has not yet been officially described, and therefore it does not yet have a formal scientific name.
Ecology
This freshwater limpet is endemic to the US State of IdahoIdaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where it is known from a 10-kilometer stretch of the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
. In 1992 it was federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
It is found in four complexes of springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
along the Snake River in south-central Idaho: Thousand Springs, Box Canyon Springs, Banbury Springs, and Briggs Springs.
Description
This snail is cinnamonCinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
red in color. The shell is conical in shape. It is up to 7.1 millimeters long by 6 wide and up to 4.3 millimeters tall.
This snail is similar in its morphology to species in the genus Lanx, but genetic analysis
Genetic analysis
Genetic analysis can be used generally to describe methods both used in and resulting from the sciences of genetics and molecular biology, or to applications resulting from this research....
reveals that it is genetically more similar to the genus Fisherola.