Radix balthica

Radix balthica, common name the wandering snail, is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.[3]

Radix balthica
Five views of a shell of Radix balthica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Superorder: Hygrophila
Family: Lymnaeidae
Genus: Radix
Species:
R. balthica
Binomial name
Radix balthica
(Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms
  • Limnaea ovata Draparnaud, 1805
  • Limneus ovatus Draparnaud, 1805[2]
  • Lymnaea ovata Draparnaud, 1805
  • Lymnaea ovata var. amnicola Westerlund, 1890
  • † Radix (Radix) limosa (Linnaeus, 1758) (junior synonym)
  • † Radix (Radix) limosa ovata (Draparnaud, 1805) (junior synonym)
  • Radix ovata (Draparnaud, 1805)
  • Radix peregra ovata (Draparnaud, 1805) (junior synonym)

Taxonomy

The taxonomic status of certain species in the genus Radix has been disputed. Remigio (2002) reported sequence divergence within the 16S mitochondrial gene of Radix peregra and Radix ovata.[4] Furthermore, the shell morphology and alloenzyme data indicated that Radix peregra and Radix ovata are distinct.[5][6]

In contrast, Bargues et al. (2001) considered on the basis of ITS-2 sequence analysis, that R. peregra, R. ovata, and R. balthica are in fact a conspecific species.[7]

Distribution

All of eastern Europe to western Siberia, as well as north Africa, Asia Minor and Afghanistan. Eurosiberian Wide Temperate . This species is found in European countries and islands including:

Genetics

The complete mitochondrial genome of Radix balthica has been obtained by shotgun sequencing and has been released in 2010.[9] The length of the mitochondrial DNA is 13,993 nucleotides, containing 37 genes.[9]

Biology

Radix balthica live in rivers, creeks, streams, streamlets and stagnant waters. They have a high degree of tolerance to pH levels, salinity concentrations and temperature conditions, but prefer calcareous waters (Welter-Schulte 2009).

Reproduction: These snails are hermaphroditic, like all species of Lymnaeidae , but have separate sexual apertures and are not inbreeding . During copulation, the snail taking the role of a male overlaps onto another individual, presenting its penis to the opening of the recipient snail. Several individuals can overlap in this way - some simultaneously playing the role of a male and female . The eggs are laid in gelatinous cords, about 1 centimeter in length, on hard substrates such as rocks, wood or aquatic plants. The offspring develop via yolk-rich eggs, from which the developed animalcules hatch as miniature versions of the parents (there is no larval stage) . Copulation and oviposition takes place from March when the snails are about 1 year old . This species has a generation length of approximately 1 year .

Respiration: Radix balthica breathe air through a lung, while also absorbing oxygen from the water through their skin. Their short, broad tentacles increase the surface area of the skin, allowing increased oxygen absorption . Their blood contains haemocyanin, giving the head and foot a pale green color. They can adjust their density by movements of the muscles in the mantle and quickly rise to the surface of the water or quickly drop down in the water column .

Food: Radix balthica feed on algae and bacterial biofilms on hard substrates, as well as feeding on detritus. Mainly green algae and protozoans are consumed in some habitats, and in other habitats mainly detritus may be consumed. Radix balthica do not eat plants that are in good health .

Parasites of Radix balthica include trematode Aspidogaster limacoides.[10]

References
  1. Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. pp. [1-4], 1-824. Holmiae. (Salvius).
  2. Draparnaud J.-P.-R. (1805). Histoire naturelle des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles de la France. Ouvrage posthume. Avec XIII planches. pp. [1-9], j-viij [= 1-8], 1-134, [Pl. 1-13]. Paris, Montpellier. (Plassan, Renaud).
  3. Neubauer, Thomas A.; Rosenberg, G.; Gofas, S. (2014). Radix balthica (Linnaeus, 1758). In: MolluscaBase (2016). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=248264 on 2017-01-10
  4. e., R. (2002). "Molecular phylogenetic relationships in the aquatic snail genus Lymnaea , the intermediate host of the causative agent of fascioliasis: Insights from broader taxon sampling". Parasitology Research. 88 (7): 687–696. doi:10.1007/s00436-002-0658-8. PMID 12107463.
  5. Glöer P., Meier-Brook C., Osterman O. (1987). Süsswassermollusken: ein Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Deutscher Jugendbund für Naturbeobachtung, Hamburg.
  6. Ward, P. I.; Goater, C. P.; Mikos, M. (1997). "Shell variation in sympatric freshwater Lymnaea peregra and L. Ovata (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 61: 139–149. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1997.tb01782.x.
  7. Bargues, M. D.; Vigo, M.; Horak, P.; Dvorak, J.; Patzner, R. A.; Pointier, J. P.; Jackiewicz, M.; Meier-Brook, C.; Mas-Coma, S. (2001). "European Lymnaeidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda), intermediate hosts of trematodiases, based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS-2 sequences". Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 1 (2): 85–107. doi:10.1016/S1567-1348(01)00019-3. PMID 12798024.
  8. (in Czech) Horsák M., Juřičková L., Beran L., Čejka T. & Dvořák L. (2010). "Komentovaný seznam měkkýšů zjištěných ve volné přírodě České a Slovenské republiky. [Annotated list of mollusc species recorded outdoors in the Czech and Slovak Republics]". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca, Suppl. 1: 1-37. PDF.
  9. Feldmeyer B., Hoffmeier K. & Pfenninger M. (2010). "The complete mitochondrial genome of Radix balthica (Pulmonata, Basommatophora), obtained by low coverage shot gun next generation sequencing". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57(3): 1329-1333. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.09.012.
  10. Alevs, Philippe V.; Vieira, Fabiano M.; Santos, Cláudia P.; Scholz, Tomáš; Luque, José L. (2015-02-12). "A Checklist of the Aspidogastrea (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) of the World". Zootaxa. 3918 (3): 339–96. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3918.3.2. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 25781098.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Radix balthica.
  • Radix balthica at Animalbase taxonomy,short description, distribution, biology,status (threats), images
  • Pfenninger M., Salinger M., Haun T. & Feldmeyer B. (2011). "Factors and processes shaping the population structure and distribution of genetic variation across the species range of the freshwater snail Radix balthica (Pulmonata, Basommatophora)". BMC Evolutionary Biology 11: 135. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-11-135.
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