Bythinella conica
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| Bythinella conica | |
|---|---|
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| Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view of Bythinella conica's shell | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Bythinellidae |
| Genus: | Bythinella |
| Species: | B. conica |
| Binomial name | |
| Bythinella conica (Clessin, 1910)[2] | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
|
Bythinella (Bythinella) conica Clessin, 1910 | |
Bythinella conica is a species of freshwater snail in the family Bythinellidae.[4]
- Subspecies
- Bythinella conica conica Clessin, 1910: nominate subspecies (original description of B. conica corresponds to this subspecies)
- Bythinella conica isolata Boeters, 2006
Shell
The shell is small, conical, and has fine incisions. The spire (pointed upper part of the shell) ends in a blunt apex (the shell's tip) and is often encrusted with brown mud.[5] The largest recorded shell reached 2.72 mm (0.107 in) in length and 1.64 mm (0.065 in) in diameter.[6] The shell has five whorls (spiral turns) that are fairly convex and separated by deep sutures (the lines separating whorls). The whorls increase in size toward the aperture (the shell's opening) at a moderate pace, with the body whorl (the final whorl) making up slightly less than one-third of the total shell height. The aperture is oval-shaped, pulled slightly toward the right when viewed with the aperture facing the observer and the spire pointing upwards. The aperture is slightly pointed at the top. The peristome (the edge of the aperture) is sharp, continuous, and does not expand.[5]
According to Boeters and Knebelsberger (2012), the subspecies B. conica conica cannot be distinguished from Bythinella austriaca by shell morphology or anatomy. However, DNA analyses and geographic distribution can separate them.
Soft parts
B. conica's body can change from white to bright green depending on the presence of algae.[7]
Taxonomy
B. conica was first described in 1910 by Stefan Clessin, based on a specimen found in a deposit of the river Alz near Burgkirchen an der Alz, Germany.[5]
In 2012 Boeters and Knebelsberger proposed the following taxonomic classification for B. conica based on a combination of genetic analyses, shell morphology, anatomy, geographic distribution, and ecological features:[6]
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