Physidae
Encyclopedia
Physidae, common name
bladder snails, are a monophyletic taxonomic family
of small freshwater snail
s, aquatic
pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the clade
Hygrophila.
Within this family, the shell is always sinistral, in other words it has left-handed coiling.
These snails eat algae, diatom
s and other detritus.
is pointing up and the aperture
is facing the observer, then the aperture is on the left-hand side.
The shells of Physidae species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum
. The shells are thin and corneous, and rather transparent.
this family consists of the following subfamilies and tribes, which is based on classification by Taylor (2003):
subfamily Physinae
Haitiini
Physini
Physellini
subfamily Aplexinae
Aplexini
Amecanautini
Austrinautini
Stenophysini
Still, many people put freshwater pond snails into their tank because
they have the ability to eat uneaten fish food and waste.
They can also eat unwanted fish carcasses.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
bladder snails, are a monophyletic taxonomic family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of small 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....
s, aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
Hygrophila.
Within this family, the shell is always sinistral, in other words it has left-handed coiling.
These snails eat algae, diatom
Diatom
Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons , fans , zigzags , or stellate colonies . Diatoms are producers within the food chain...
s and other detritus.
Shell description
These small snails are quite distinctive, because they have shells that are sinistral, which means that if the shell is held such that the spireSpire (mollusc)
A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...
is pointing up and the aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
is facing the observer, then the aperture is on the left-hand side.
The shells of Physidae species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
. The shells are thin and corneous, and rather transparent.
Taxonomy
According to the taxonomy by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005)Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
this family consists of the following subfamilies and tribes, which is based on classification by Taylor (2003):
- subfamily Physinae Fitzinger, 1833
- tribe Haitiini D.W. Taylor, 2003
- tribe Physini Fitzinger, 1833
- tribe Physellini D. W. Taylor, 2003
- subfamily Aplexinae Starobogatov, 1967
- tribe Aplexini Starobogatov, 1967
- tribe Amecanautini D. W. Taylor, 2003
- tribe Austrinautini D. W. Taylor, 2003
- tribe Stenophysini D. W. Taylor, 2003
Genera
Genera in the family Physidae include:subfamily Physinae
Haitiini
- Haitia Clench & Aguayo, 1932 - type genus of the tribe Haitiini
Physini
- Beringophysa Starobogatov & Budnikova, 1976
- Laurentiphysa Taylor, 2003
- PhysaPhysaPhysa 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 detritus.- Anatomy :...
Draparnaud, 1801 - type genus of the family Physidae
Physellini
- Archiphysa Taylor, 2003
- Chiapaphysa Taylor, 2003
- Petrophysa Pilsbry, 1926 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=283757&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock
- PhysellaPhysellaPhysella 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.-Shell description:...
Haldemann, 1843 - type genus of the tribe Physellini - Ultraphysella Taylor, 2003
- Utahphysa Taylor, 2003
subfamily Aplexinae
Aplexini
- Amuraplexa Starobotatov, Prozorova & Zatravkin, 1989
- AplexaAplexaAplexa is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae.-Shell description:...
Fleming, 1820 - aplexa, type genus of the subfamily Aplexinae - Paraplexa Starobogatov, 1989
- Sibirenauta Starobogatov & Streletzkaja, 1967
Amecanautini
- Amecanauta D. W. Taylor, 2003 - type genus of the tribe Amecanautini
- Mayabina Tayor, 2003
- Mexinauta Taylor, 2003
- Tropinauta Taylor, 2003
Austrinautini
- Austrinauta D. W. Taylor, 2003 - type genus of the tribe Austrinautini
- Caribnauta Taylor, 2003
Stenophysini
- Afrophysa Starobogatov, 1967
- Stenophysa von Martens, 1898 - type genus of the tribe Stenophysini
Tank care
Physidae can be pests to any tank with fish in it because they create waste, reproduce very often, and are very hard to remove.Still, many people put freshwater pond snails into their tank because
they have the ability to eat uneaten fish food and waste.
They can also eat unwanted fish carcasses.
Further reading
- Wethington A. R. & Lydeard C. (2007). "A molecular phylogeny of Physidae (Gastropoda: Basommatophora) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences". Journal Molluscan Studies 73(3): 241-257. doi:10.1093/mollus/eym021.