Radix (genus)
| Radix | ||||||||||||
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Ear mud snail ( Radix auricularia ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Radix | ||||||||||||
| Montfort , 1810 |
Radix is a genus of the family of mud snails (Lymnaeidae) from the suborder of the water snails (Basommatophora) (order lung snails (Pulmonata)). The genus is widespread in the freshwater waters of the northern hemisphere with several species.
features
The housings have only a few turns. The shape of the housing of the genus ranges from conical with a large thread and small opening to ear-shaped with a very large opening and very small thread. The opening is usually significantly higher than the thread of the housing. They are moderately large (up to about 2.5 cm). The housings are usually also very variable intraspecifically. This makes it very difficult to differentiate between the individual species and in individual cases it is often only possible through soft tissue examinations.
Systematics
The number of species of the genus varies depending on the author. For Central Europe, Glöer (2002) gives five types, which are difficult to differentiate due to their housing shape. The species can often only be determined with certainty by examining the bursa stalk. Up to now, Radix lagotis could only be identified as a distinct species using molecular genetics. According to Fauna Europaea and "Worldwide mollusc species database", the genus contains the following species:
- Wide-mouthed mud snail ( Radix ampla (Hartmann, 1821))
- European limpet snail ( Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758))
- Common mud snail ( Radix balthica (Linnaeus, 1758))
- Radix hamadai Habe, 1968
- Radix japonica Jay, 1857
- Radix jordii Altaba, 2007
- Alpine mud snail ( Radix labiata (Rossäßler, 1835))
- Slender mud snail ( Radix lagotis (Cabinet, 1803))
- Radix lilli Glöer & Beckmann, 2007
- Radix linae Altaba, 2007
- Radix luteola Lamarck, 1799
- Radix onychia (Westerlund, 1887)
- Radix parapsilia Vinarski & Glöer, 2009
- Radix peregra (Müller, 1774)
- Radix pinteri Schütt, 1974
- Radix plicatula Benson, 1842
- Radix quadrasi (Möllendorff)
- Radix relicta Polinsky, 1929
- Radix rubiginosa (Michelin, 1831)
- Radix skutaris Glöer & Pešić, 2008
Parasites
The species of the genus Radix can be intermediate hosts for larvae of the trematode Trichobilharzia ocellata , which also mistakenly infect humans as intermediate hosts . They trigger what is known as bathing dermatitis , which is uncomfortable for people, but harmless and only leads to reddening of the skin. The actual hosts for Trichobilharzia ocellata are water birds.
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
