''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...

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 ...

mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae,

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...

s and other

detritus In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...

Shell description

Snails in the family Physidae have shells that are sinistral, which means that if the shell is held with the spire pointing up and the aperture facing the observer, the aperture is on the left-hand side. The shells of ''Physella'' species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum. The shells are thin and corneous and rather transparent.

Species

Species in the genus include: * '' Physella acuta'' (Draparnaud, 1805) - Pewter Physa, type species, synonyms: ''Physella heterostropha'' (Say, 1817), ''Physella integra'' (Haldeman, 1841)Dillon R. T., Wethington A. R., Rhett J. M. & Smith T. P. (2002). "Populations of the European freshwater pulmonate ''Physa acuta'' are not reproductively isolated from American ''Physa heterostopha'' or ''Physa integra''". ''Invertebrate Biology'' 121: 226-234. * ''Physella ancillaria'' (Say, 1825) * ''Physella bermudezi'' (Aguayo, 1935) - Lowdome Physa"''Physella''". NatureServe Explorer, accessed 9 April 2010. * ''Physella bottimeri'' (Clench, 1924) - Comanche Physa * ''Physella boucardi'' (Crosse & P. Fischer, 1881) - Desert Physa * ''Physella columbiana'' (Hemphill, 1890) - Rotund Physa * ''Physella conoidea'' (P. Fischer & Crosse, 1886) - Texas Physa * ''Physella cooperi'' (Tryon, 1865) - Olive Physa * ''Physella costata'' (Newcomb, 1861) - Ornate Physa * ''Physella cubensis'' (Pfeiffer, 1839) * ''Physella globosa'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Globose Physa * ''Physella gyrina'' (Say, 1821) * ''Physella hendersoni'' (Clench, 1925) * ''Physella hordacea'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Grain Physa * ''Physella humerosa'' (Gould, 1855) - Corkscrew Physa * ''Physella johnsoni'' (Clench, 1926) - Banff Springs Snail * ''Physella lordi'' (Baird, 1863) - Twisted Physa * ''Physella magnalacustris'' (Walker, 1901) * ''Physella mexicana'' (Philippi, 1841) - Polished Physa * ''Physella microstriata'' (Chamberlin & E. G. Berry, 1930) * ''Physella natricina'' Taylor, 1988 * ''Physella osculans'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Cayuse Physa * ''Physella parkeri'' (Currier, 1881) - Broadshoulder Physa * ''Physella propinqua'' (Tryon, 1865) - Rocky Mountain Physa * ''Physella sayi'' * ''Physella spelunca'' (Turner & Clench, 1974) * ''Physella squalida'' (Morelet, 1851) - Squalid Physa * ''Physella traski'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Sculpted Physa * ''Physella utahensis'' (Clench, 1925) * ''Physella vinosa'' (Gould, 1847) - Banded Physa * ''Physella virgata'' (Gould, 1855) * ''Physella virginea'' (Gould, 1847) - Sunset Physa * ''Physella winnipegensis'' ..., 2004(2004) ''Visaya'
1(2)
* ''Physella wrighti'' Te & Clarke, 1985 * ''Physella zionis'' (Pilsbry, 1926)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3021485 Physidae Taxa named by Samuel Stehman Haldeman

Shell description

Species

See also

References