''Lymnaea acuminata'' is a species of

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 ...

in the family

Lymnaeidae Lymnaeidae, common name the pond snails, is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of small to large air-breathing freshwater snails, Aquatic animal, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks, that belong to the clade Hygrophila (cl ...

. It is native to

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

, where it occurs in

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. There it is a widespread and common species.Budha, P.B., Dutta, J. & Daniel, B.A. 2010
''Lymnaea acuminata''.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. Downloaded on 22 September 2014.

Biology

This snail lives in water bodies such as lakes, streams, and wetlands with thick vegetation. It easily survives in polluted waters.

Parasites

''Lymnaea acuminata'' is a host for many species of

trematodes Trematoda is a class of flatworms known as trematodes, and commonly as flukes. They are obligate internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts. The intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs, is a moll ...

. It is the first

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 ...

for ''

Schistosoma nasale ''Schistosoma nasale'' is a species of digenetic trematode in the family Schistosomatidae. ''S. nasale'' inhabits blood vessels of the nasal mucosa and causes " snoring disease" in cattle, but remains symptomless in buffaloes though extruding it ...

'' and '' S. spindale''.Liu L., et al. (2010). The phylogeography of ''Indoplanorbis exustus'' (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in Asia. ''

Parasites & Vectors ''Parasites & Vectors'' is a peer-reviewed open-access medical journal published by BioMed Central. The journal publishes articles on the biology of parasites, parasitic diseases, intermediate hosts, vectors and vector-borne pathogens. ''Parasites ...

'' 3 57. . It is also an intermediate host for the

liver fluke Liver fluke is a collective name of a polyphyletic group of parasitic trematodes under the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are principally parasites of the liver of various mammals, including humans. Capable of moving along the blood circulation, ...

s ''

Fasciola gigantica ''Fasciola gigantica'' is a parasitic flatworm of the Class (biology), class Trematoda, which causes tropical fascioliasis. It is regarded as one of the most important single platyhelminth infections of ruminants in Asia and Africa. The infection ...

'' and '' F. hepatica'', which cause the infectious disease

fasciolosis Fasciolosis is a parasitic worm infection caused by the common liver fluke ''Fasciola hepatica'' as well as by '' Fasciola gigantica''. The disease is a plant-borne trematode zoonosis, and is classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). ...

in humans and other mammals.Tripathi, A. P., et al. (2013)
Behavioral responses of the snail ''Lymnaea acuminata'' towards photo and chemo attractants: A new step in control program of fasciolosis.
''International Journal of Zoology'' 2013 439276.

References

Reproduction

Freshwater snails reproduce in a variety of ways, including asexually, sexually, and hermaphroditically Asexual reproduction Some freshwater snails can reproduce asexually, meaning they can lay and fertilize their own eggs. For example, pond snails can reproduce asexually, but they also prefer to reproduce sexually. Sexual reproduction In some species, males fertilize females through direct copulation. For example, mystery snails are sexually dimorphic, meaning they have separate males and females that must pair up to reproduce. Hermaphroditic reproduction Some freshwater snails are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs. Hermaphroditic snails may reproduce sexually or asexually, depending on the species and conditions. Males fertilize females through copulation. Females lay their eggs in clumps on firm, clean surfaces like rocks, logs, or aquatic vegetation. The eggs hatch after a period of time that depends on the species and environmental factors.

Egg laying

Freshwater snails reproduce by laying eggs in clumps, which are usually attached to plants or other surfaces in the water. The eggs hatch after a period of time that depends on the species and environmental factors. Snails can lay eggs multiple times a year, sometimes as often as once or more each month. The eggs hatch after 1 to 5 weeks, depending on the species and environmental factors. Lymnaeidae Gastropods described in 1822 {{Lymnaeidae-stub