''Biomphalaria'' is a genus of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic animal, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Planorbidae, the sheep, ram's horn snails and their allies.MolluscaBase (2018). Biomphalaria Preston, 1910. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=718742 on 2018-02-13 ''Biomphalaria'' is the type genus of the tribe Biomphalariini. ''Taphius'' is a synonym for ''Biomphalaria''. The shell of this species, like all planorbids is sinistral in coiling, but is carried upside down and thus appears to be dextral. Biomphalaria tenagophila shell

Species

As of 2008 there were recognized 34 extant species in the genus ''Biomphalaria'' in total (22 American species and 12 Old World species). There were also described number of fossil ''Biomphalaria'' species. American species include: # ''Biomphalaria amazonica'' Paraense, 1966 # ''Biomphalaria andecola'' (d'Orbigny, 1835) # ''Biomphalaria cousini'' # ''Biomphalaria edisoni'' Estrada, Velásquez, Caldeira, Bejarano, Rojas & Carvalho, 2006 # ''Biomphalaria glabrata'' (Say, 1818) # ''Biomphalaria havanensis'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1839) # ''Biomphalaria helophila'' (d'Orbigny, 1835) # ''Biomphalaria intermedia'' (Paraense & Deslandes, 1962)Rumi A., Gregoric D. E. G., Núñez V. & Darrigran G. A. (2008). "Malacología Latinoamericana. Moluscos de agua dulce de Argentina". ''Revista de Biología Tropical'' 56(1): 77–111
HTM
# ''Biomphalaria kuhniana'' (Clessin, 1883) # † ''Biomphalaria manya'' Cabrera & Martinez, 2018 # ''Biomphalaria obstructa'' # ''Biomphalaria occidentalis'' Paraense, 1981 # ''Biomphalaria oligoza'' Paraense, 1974 # ''Biomphalaria orbignyi'' Paraense, 1975 # ''Biomphalaria peregrina'' (d'Orbigny, 1835) # ''Biomphalaria prona'' # ''Biomphalaria schrammi'' (Crosse, 1864) # ''Biomphalaria straminea'' (Dunker, 1848) # ''Biomphalaria subprona'' (Martens, 1899) # ''Biomphalaria temascalensis'' Rangel-Ruiz, 1987 # ''Biomphalaria tenagophila'' (d'Orbigny, 1835) Old World (Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East) species include: # ''Biomphalaria alexandrina'' # ''Biomphalaria angulosa'' Mandahl-Barth, 1957 # ''Biomphalaria barthi'' Brown, 1973 # ''Biomphalaria camerunensis'' # ''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' # ''Biomphalaria pfeifferi'' (Krauss, 1848) # ''Biomphalaria salinarum'' Morelet # ''Biomphalaria smithi'' Preston, 1910 - type species # ''Biomphalaria stanleyi'' (Smith, 1888) # ''Biomphalaria sudanica'' (Martens, 1870) # ''Biomphalaria tchadiensis'' Germain, 1904 # ''Biomphalaria ruppellii'' Auet. - subspecies: ''Biomphalaria ruppellii ruppellii'' Auet.; ''Biomphalaria ruppellii katangae'' Haas There is one known hybrid (biology), hybrid ''Biomphalaria glabrata × Biomphalaria alexandrina'' from Egypt. A cladogram showing phylogenic relations of (23 analyzed) species in the genus ''Biomphalaria'':
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Distribution

The origin of the genus ''Biomphalaria'' is American. The ancestor of ''Biomphalaria glabrata'' colonized Africa 2.3–4.5 or 2-5/ millions years ago and Speciation, speciated into all the African ''Biomphalaria'' species. Natural populations of these snails are usually found in tropical standing water or freshwater in South America and Africa, but they also reach 30° latitude in subtropical areas. Many species of these red-blooded planorbid snails (Gastropoda: Basommatophora) are able to survive a long time when removed from their freshwater habitat. Of the 34 ''Biomphalaria'' species, 4 (''Biomphalaria glabrata'', ''Biomphalaria pfeifferi'', ''Biomphalaria straminea'', and ''Biomphalaria tenagophila'') have recently expanded their native ranges. They have been introduced to areas where other ''Biomphalaria'' species are endemic (e.g., Congo and Egypt) or to subtropical zones that have no frost period (Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Hong Kong). All species in the genus ''Biomphalaria'' except of native ''Biomphalaria obstructa'' has not yet become established in the US, but they are considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest (organism), pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.

Parasites

This genus of snails is medically important, because the snails can carry a List of parasites (human), parasite of humans which represents a serious disease risk: the snails serve as an intermediate host (Vector (epidemiology), vector) for the human parasitic blood fluke, ''Schistosoma mansoni'', that infects about 83 million people. The human disease schistosomiasis (aka snail fever) caused by all ''Schistosoma'' species (transmitted also by other snails) infects 200 million people.The Carter Cente
"Schistosomiasis Control Program"
Accessed 20 November 2009. The fluke, which is found primarily in tropical areas, infects mammals (including humans) via contact with water that contains schistosome larvae (cercariae) which have previously been released from the snail. Infection occurs via penetration of cercariae through the skin. Eighteen species of ''Biomphalaria'' are intermediate hosts for ''Schistosoma mansoni''; seven species of the genus have not been tested for this susceptibility and nine species are resistant. Altogether about 30 species of parasites from Africa and at least 20 species from the Neotropical realm, Neotropics are known to parasitize ''Biomphalaria''.

References

This article incorporates public domain text from the Majoros ''et al.'' reference.

Species

Distribution

Parasites

References

Further reading