''Beddomeia averni'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of very small

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gastro ...

that has a

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

and an operculum, an aquatic operculate

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the family Hydrobiidae. This species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The Hydrobiidae snail has been categorized into four distinct groups: Beddomeia being one of them. Very little is known about their ecology and habitat. Low funding in Australia for the conservation of threatened species is partly responsible for this; moreover, there are only a few good sources that contribute to its limited data required to have a better understanding. Studies have shown that it is hard to distinguish the species from a morphology point of view (a method used in the classification of different species for centuries). A non-taxonomist may find it arduous to tell differences among different members of the species. Therefore the anatomical study is incorporated to understand and differentiate them. It is found that human-led actions such as agriculture, forestry, mining, etc have caused major degradation in their population. Other factors such as changes in water conditions due to sedimentation, varying temperature, mineral level, salinity can either positively/negatively impact their population Richards, K. (2010b). : Threatened Species & Marine Section(2013). Listing Statement for Beddomeia averni (Hydrobiidae s.l.) (Hydrobiid Snail (West Gawler)). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment,Tasmania.

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* * Gastropods of Australia Hydrobiidae Beddomeia Vulnerable fauna of Australia Endemic fauna of Australia Gastropods described in 1993 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Hydrobiidae-stub

See also

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