Italian pond snail
| Italian pond snail | ||||||||||||
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Italian pond snail ( Viviparus ater ), shell |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Viviparus ater | ||||||||||||
| Cristofori & Jan , 1832 |
The Italian pond snail ( Viviparus ater ) is a freshwater snail that belongs to the order of the architaenioglossa .
features
The housing is up to 45 millimeters high and 35 millimeters wide. The 5.5 to 6 turns increase evenly in width and height. The apex therefore appears pointed. The navel is narrow and not closed; the mouth is oval. The housings are greenish brown to black (hence the lat . Epithet ater ).
Way of life and distribution
The species lives in rivers and lakes, sometimes en masse in the shore zone. As a grazer, it feeds on algae, organic detritus or as a filter feeder.
The species was originally only distributed south of the Alps in northern Italy. It was introduced into Lake Constance some time ago and has spread there en masse. Smaller deposits can also be found in the Upper Palatinate .
Similar species
The species is easy to confuse with the Danube pond snail ( Viviparus acerosus ). In this type, however, the first two turns increase very slowly in height; the apex is thereby flattened. The distribution areas of the two species do not overlap geographically.
literature
- Peter Glöer: The animal world of Germany. Mollusca I Freshwater gastropods of Northern and Central Europe Key to identification, way of life, distribution. 2. rework. Ed., 327 pages, ConchBooks, Hackenheim 2002 ISBN 3-925919-60-0 .
Web links
- European Viiparidae - Viviparus ater
- Viviparus ater in the Red List of Endangered Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Posted by: Vavrova, L., 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2014.