''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 ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the famil ...

'' (Pfeiffer, 1839) * ''

Physella globosa ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the fami ...

'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Globose Physa * ''

Physella gyrina ''Physella gyrina'', common name the "tadpole physa", is a species of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Shell description Snails in the family Physid ...

'' (Say, 1821) * ''

Physella hendersoni ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the f ...

'' (Clench, 1925) * ''

Physella hordacea ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the fami ...

'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Grain Physa * ''

Physella humerosa ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the f ...

'' (Gould, 1855) - Corkscrew Physa * ''

Physella johnsoni The Banff Springs snail (''Physella johnsoni'') is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail in the family Physidae. Based on molecular research, it appears that ''Physella johnsoni'' separated out as a species from '' Physella gyrina'' ...

'' (Clench, 1926) - Banff Springs Snail * ''

Physella lordi ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the f ...

'' (Baird, 1863) - Twisted Physa * ''

Physella magnalacustris ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the f ...

'' (Walker, 1901) * '' Physella mexicana'' (Philippi, 1841) - Polished Physa * ''

Physella microstriata The Fish Lake physa, scientific name ''Physella microstriata'', was a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. This species was endemic to the United States. It is now extinct Ext ...

'' (Chamberlin & E. G. Berry, 1930) * ''

Physella natricina The Snake River physa snail, scientific name ''Physella natricina'', is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. This species is endemic to Idaho in the United States. The Snake River physa snail ''Hait ...

'' Taylor, 1988 * ''

Physella osculans ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the famil ...

'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Cayuse Physa * ''

Physella parkeri ''Physella parkeri'', the Broadshoulder Physa, is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail. It is an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Like others in the family, this species is sinistral or left-handed. Distrib ...

'' (Currier, 1881) - Broadshoulder Physa * ''

Physella propinqua ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the fami ...

'' (Tryon, 1865) - Rocky Mountain Physa * ''

Physella sayi ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the fami ...

'' * ''

Physella spelunca ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the f ...

'' (Turner & Clench, 1974) * ''

Physella squalida ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the fami ...

'' (Morelet, 1851) - Squalid Physa * ''

Physella traski ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the famil ...

'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Sculpted Physa * ''

Physella utahensis The Utah physa, scientific name ''Physella utahensis'', is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. This species is endemic to the United States. The common name refers to the state of Utah. Reference ...

'' (Clench, 1925) * '' Physella vinosa'' (Gould, 1847) - Banded Physa * ''

Physella virgata ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the f ...

'' (Gould, 1855) * ''

Physella virginea ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the famil ...

'' (Gould, 1847) - Sunset Physa * ''

Physella winnipegensis ''Physella'' 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 Snails in the fami ...

'' ..., 2004(2004) ''Visaya'
1(2)
* ''

Physella wrighti ''Physella wrighti'', common name the hotwater physa, is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Distribution This species lives in British Columbia, Canada, found only in the ...

'' Te & Clarke, 1985 * ''

Physella zionis The Wet rock physa, scientific name ''Physella zionis'', is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Physidae, the bladder snails. This species is endemic to two connected canyons, Zion Canyon Zion Ca ...

'' (Pilsbry, 1926)

References

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

Shell description

Species

See also

References