''Physella'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater

snails 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 Gastrop ...

, 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 ...

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 ...

s 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 Physidae, common name the bladder snails, is a monophyletic taxonomic family of small air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Lymnaeoidea .MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Physidae Fitzin ...

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 ''Physella acuta'' is a species of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Common names include European physa, tadpole snail, bladder snail, and acute bladder snail. ...

'' (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'' (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'' (Clench, 1925) * '' Physella hordacea'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Grain Physa * '' Physella humerosa'' (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'' (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 ''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'' (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 ''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'' (Clench, 1925) * ''

Physella vinosa ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, Aquatic animal, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snai ...

'' (Gould, 1847) - Banded Physa * '' Physella virgata'' (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'' ..., 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