''Physella'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater

snails 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 Ga ...

, aquatic pulmonate gastropod

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 es ...

s in the family Physidae. These snails eat

alga Algae ( , ; : alga ) are any of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms. The name is an informal term for a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from u ...

e, diatoms and other

detritus In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commu ...

Shell description

Snails in the family

Physidae Physidae, common name the bladder snails, is a monophyletic taxonomic family of small air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Lymnaeoidea .MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Physidae F ...

have shells that are sinistral, which means that if the shell is held with the spire pointing up and the aperture facing the observer, the aperture is on the left-hand side. The shells of ''Physella'' species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum. The shells are thin and corneous and rather transparent.

Species

Species in the genus include: * ''

Physella acuta ''Physella acuta'' is a species of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Common names include European physa, tadpole snail, bladder snail, and acute bladder snail. ...

'' (Draparnaud, 1805) - Pewter Physa, type species, synonyms: ''Physella heterostropha'' (Say, 1817), ''Physella integra'' (Haldeman, 1841)Dillon R. T., Wethington A. R., Rhett J. M. & Smith T. P. (2002). "Populations of the European freshwater pulmonate ''Physa acuta'' are not reproductively isolated from American ''Physa heterostopha'' or ''Physa integra''". ''Invertebrate Biology'' 121: 226-234. * '' Physella ancillaria'' (Say, 1825) * '' Physella bermudezi'' (Aguayo, 1935) - Lowdome Physa"''Physella''".

NatureServe NatureServe, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Arlington County, Virginia, US, that provides proprietary wildlife conservation-related data, tools, and services to private and government clients, partner organizations, and the public. Nat ...

Explorer, accessed 9 April 2010. * '' Physella bottimeri'' (Clench, 1924) - Comanche Physa * '' Physella boucardi'' (Crosse & P. Fischer, 1881) - Desert Physa * '' Physella columbiana'' (Hemphill, 1890) - Rotund Physa * '' Physella conoidea'' (P. Fischer & Crosse, 1886) - Texas Physa * '' Physella cooperi'' (Tryon, 1865) - Olive Physa * '' Physella costata'' (Newcomb, 1861) - Ornate Physa * '' Physella cubensis'' (Pfeiffer, 1839) * ''

Physella globosa ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the fami ...

'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Globose Physa * '' Physella gyrina'' (Say, 1821) * ''

Physella hendersoni ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the f ...

'' (Clench, 1925) * ''

Physella hordacea ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the fami ...

'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Grain Physa * ''

Physella humerosa ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the f ...

'' (Gould, 1855) - Corkscrew Physa * '' Physella johnsoni'' (Clench, 1926) - Banff Springs Snail * ''

Physella lordi ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the f ...

'' (Baird, 1863) - Twisted Physa * ''

Physella magnalacustris ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the f ...

'' (Walker, 1901) * '' Physella mexicana'' (Philippi, 1841) - Polished Physa * ''

Physella microstriata The Fish Lake physa, scientific name ''Physella microstriata'', was a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. This species was endemic to the United States. It is now extinct Ext ...

'' (Chamberlin & E. G. Berry, 1930) * ''

Physella natricina The Snake River physa snail, scientific name ''Physella natricina'', is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. This species is endemic to Idaho in the United States. The Snake River physa snail ''Hait ...

'' Taylor, 1988 * '' Physella osculans'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Cayuse Physa * ''

Physella parkeri ''Physella parkeri'', the Broadshoulder Physa, is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail. It is an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Like others in the family, this species is sinistral or left-handed. Distrib ...

'' (Currier, 1881) - Broadshoulder Physa * ''

Physella propinqua ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the fami ...

'' (Tryon, 1865) - Rocky Mountain Physa * ''

Physella sayi ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the fami ...

'' * ''

Physella spelunca ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the f ...

'' (Turner & Clench, 1974) * ''

Physella squalida ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the fami ...

'' (Morelet, 1851) - Squalid Physa * '' Physella traski'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Sculpted Physa * ''

Physella utahensis The Utah physa, scientific name ''Physella utahensis'', is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. This species is endemic to the United States. The common name refers to the state of Utah. Reference ...

'' (Clench, 1925) * '' Physella vinosa'' (Gould, 1847) - Banded Physa * ''

Physella virgata ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the f ...

'' (Gould, 1855) * '' Physella virginea'' (Gould, 1847) - Sunset Physa * ''

Physella winnipegensis ''Physella'' is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus. Shell description Snails in the fami ...

'' ..., 2004(2004) ''Visaya'
1(2)
* ''

Physella wrighti ''Physella wrighti'', common name the hotwater physa, is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Distribution This species lives in British Columbia, Canada, found only in the ...

'' Te & Clarke, 1985 * ''

Physella zionis The Wet rock physa, scientific name ''Physella zionis'', is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Physidae, the bladder snails. This species is endemic to two connected canyons, Zion Canyon Zion Ca ...

'' (Pilsbry, 1926)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3021485 Physidae Taxa named by Samuel Stehman Haldeman

Shell description

Species

See also

References