''Planorbella'' 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 freshwater air-breathing

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 ...

s, 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 Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails, or planorbids, which all have sinistral, or left-coiling, shells.

Ecology

Species in this genus are sometimes hosts for parasites, constituting a link in the pathway of infection for higher animals. For example, some species of ''Planorbella'' host rediae and cercariae stages of the parasite '' Ribeiroia'', prior to ultimate infection of the Rough-skinned Newt. ''Planorbella'' are often

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

grazers, and in some locations such as oligotrophic

slough Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...

s, they may be a dominant element of total ecosystem biomass and hence system integrity.

Species

Species within the genus ''Planorbella'' include: * '' Planorbella ammon'' (Gould, 1855) * '' Planorbella binneyi'' (Tryon, 1867) * ''

Planorbella campanulata ''Planorbella campanulata'' is a species of gastropods belonging to the family Planorbidae Planorbidae, common name the ramshorn snails or ram's horn snails, is a family of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mol ...

'' (Say, 1821) * '' Planorbella columbiensis'' (F. C. Baker, 1945) * '' Planorbella corpulenta'' (Say, 1824) * ''

Planorbella duryi ''Planorbella duryi'', common name the Seminole rams-horn, is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails. The species is endemic to Florida and is found frequently ...

'' (Wetherby, 1879) * ''

Planorbella magnifica ''Planorbella magnifica'', the magnificent ramshorn, is a species of small, freshwater, air-breathing snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails. This species is endemic to the United States Th ...

'' (Pilsbry, 1903) * † ''

Planorbella multivolvis ''Planorbella multivolvis'', the acorn ramshorn, was a species of small freshwater air-breathing snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails. This species was endemic to the state of Michigan in the Uni ...

'' (Case, 1847)Bogan A. E. (2000)
''Planorbella multivolvis''2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Downloaded on 7 August 2007. * ''

Planorbella occidentalis ''Planorbella'' is a genus of freshwater air-breathing snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails, or planorbids, which all have sinistral, or left-coiling, shells. Ecology Species in this g ...

'' (J. G. Cooper, 1870) * ''

Planorbella oregonensis ''Planorbella oregonensis'' is a species of gastropod belonging to the family Planorbidae. The species is found in Western North America. Per IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for ...

'' (Tryon, 1865) * ''

Planorbella pilsbryi ''Planorbella'' is a genus of freshwater air-breathing snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails, or planorbids, which all have sinistral, or left-coiling, shells. Ecology Species in this g ...

'' (F. C. Baker, 1926) * ''

Planorbella scalaris ''Planorbella'' is a genus of freshwater air-breathing snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails, or planorbids, which all have sinistral, or left-coiling, shells. Ecology Species in this g ...

'' (Jay, 1839) * '' Planorbella subcrenata'' (Carpenter, 1857) * '' Planorbella tenuis'' (Dunker, 1850) * '' Planorbella traski'' (I. Lea, 1856) * ''

Planorbella trivolvis ''Planorbella trivolvis'' is a species of freshwater air-breathing snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails, or planorbids, which all have sinistral or left-coiling shells. Description All s ...

'' (Say, 1817) * '' Planorbella truncata'' (M. Miles, 1861)

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3061485 Taxa named by Samuel Stehman Haldeman