''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' is a species of air-breathing

freshwater snail Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks that live in fresh water. There are many different families. They are found throughout the world in various habitats, ranging from ephemeral pools to the largest lakes, and from small seeps and springs t ...

, an

aquatic Aquatic means relating to water; living in or near water or taking place in water; does not include groundwater, as "aquatic" implies an environment where plants and animals live. Aquatic(s) may also refer to: * Aquatic animal, either vertebrate ...

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates is an informal group (previously an order, and before that, a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group inclu ...

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Planorbidae Planorbidae, common name the ramshorn snails or ram's horn snails, is a family (biology), family of air-breathing freshwater snails, Aquatic animal, aquatic pulmonate gastropod Mollusca, molluscs. Unlike most molluscs, the blood of ram's horn sn ...

, the ram's horn snails. ''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' has a discoidal, brownish-yellow shell with an approximate shell diameter of 6–10 mm. ''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' is a medically important pest, due to it being an

intermediate host In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

of the intravascular trematode genus, ''

Schistosoma ''Schistosoma'' is a genus of trematodes, commonly known as blood flukes. They are Parasitism, parasitic flatworms responsible for a highly significant group of infections in humans termed ''schistosomiasis'', which is considered by the World H ...

''.

Habitat and distribution

''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' is an

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n species found in freshwater habitats such as rivers, streams, and ponds. Their head has a pair of tentacles with eyes at the base, and a siphon for breathing and waste elimination. It is known to prefer slow-moving water with vegetation, where it feeds on algae and detritus. Distribution of ''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' include: *

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...

(

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

n and

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

Ecology and behavior

''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' is known to be an intermediate host for the parasitic flatworms ''

Schistosoma mansoni A paired couple of ''Schistosoma mansoni''. ''Schistosoma mansoni'' is a water-borne parasite of humans, and belongs to the group of blood flukes (''Schistosoma''). The adult lives in the blood vessels ( mesenteric veins) near the human inte ...

'', which is responsible for causing intestinal schistosomiasis in humans. The snail's role as an intermediate host allows the parasite to complete its life cycle and infect humans who come into contact with contaminated water sources where it inhabits. In addition to its role in transmitting parasites, ''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' also plays an important ecological role in its freshwater habitat. The snail feeds on algae and detritus, helping to regulate the nutrient balance of the ecosystem. It also serves as a food source for many predators, including

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s, and other invertebrates.

Conservation status and biological importance

''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' is not considered a threatened species, and its population is stable in its native range. However, the species' role as an intermediate host for schistosomiasis makes it an important target for disease control programs. Constant efforts are underway to reduce the incidence of schistosomiasis by controlling the snail population through chemical treatments and biological control methods.

Phylogeny

''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' is a part of the "Nilotic Species Complex" alongside '' B. alexandrina, B. angulosa, B. smithi, B. stanleyi'' and '' B. sudanica.'' Biomphalaria Phylogenetic Tree

Ecological phenotypes

''Biomphalaria choanomphala'' has been the subject of multiple ecological and genetic studies, which have revealed its shell morphology can vary as a result of environmental factors. Several studies have shown that ''B. choanomphala'' snails found within Lake Victoria have very different conchological morphologies, but are very similar genetically, suggesting these snails are likely a single species expressing two ecophenotypes. Previous conchological morphology studies of ''Biomphalaria'' snails have categorised their species based on whether they exhibited a “lacustrine” (found within a lake) or a “non-lacustrine” shell morphology (found elsewhere). In the case of ''B. choanomphala'', its commonly associated with having a lacustrine morphotype (morphotype-B), while the non-lacustrine morphotype (morphotype-A) is commonly mistaken for another African ''Biomphalaria'' species, '' B. sudanica''. Biomphalaria choanomphala Ecophenotypes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20046520 Gastropods described in 1879 choanomphala Molluscs of Africa