''Physella'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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

snails A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gas ...

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 ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s in the family Physidae. These snails eat

alga Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular microalgae, suc ...

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma'') is any member of a large group comprising several Genus, genera of algae, specifically microalgae, found in the oceans, waterways and soils of the world. Living diatoms make up a significant portion of Earth's B ...

s and other

detritus In biology, detritus ( or ) is organic matter made up of the decomposition, decomposing remains of organisms and plants, and also of feces. Detritus usually hosts communities of microorganisms that colonize and decomposition, decompose (Reminera ...

Shell description

Snails in the family

Physidae Physidae, common name, commonly called the bladder snails, is a family (biology), family of small air-breathing freshwater snails, Aquatic animal, aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Lymnaeoidea.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). Mol ...

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 animal, aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Common names include European physa, tadpole snail, bladder snail, and acute ...

'' (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 ''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 famil ...

'' (Say, 1825) * '' Physella bermudezi'' (Aguayo, 1935) - Lowdome Physa"''Physella''".

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

Explorer, accessed 9 April 2010. * '' Physella bottimeri'' (Clench, 1924) - Comanche Physa * ''

Physella boucardi ''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 ...

'' (Crosse & P. Fischer, 1881) - Desert Physa * ''

Physella columbiana ''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 ...

'' (Hemphill, 1890) - Rotund Physa * '' Physella conoidea'' (P. Fischer & Crosse, 1886) - Texas Physa * ''

Physella cooperi ''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) - Olive Physa * ''

Physella costata ''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 ...

'' (Newcomb, 1861) - Ornate Physa * ''

Physella cubensis ''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 ...

'' (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 ''Physella gyrina'', common name the "tadpole physa", is a species of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Shell description Snails in the family Physi ...

'' (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 fami ...

'' (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 fami ...

'' (Gould, 1855) - Corkscrew Physa * ''

Physella johnsoni The Banff Springs snail (''Physella johnsoni'') is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail in the family Physidae. Based on molecular research, it appears that ''Physella johnsoni'' separated out as a species from '' Physella gyrina'' ...

'' (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 fami ...

'' (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 fami ...

'' (Walker, 1901) * ''

Physella mexicana ''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 ...

'' (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 Extinct ...

'' (Chamberlin & E. G. Berry, 1930) * '' Physella natricina'' Taylor, 1988 * ''

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

'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Cayuse Physa * '' Physella parkeri'' (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 famil ...

'' (Tryon, 1865) - Rocky Mountain Physa * '' Physella sayi'' * '' Physella spelunca'' (Turner & Clench, 1974) * '' Physella squalida'' (Morelet, 1851) - Squalid Physa * '' Physella traski'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Sculpted Physa * '' Physella utahensis'' (Clench, 1925) * '' Physella vinosa'' (Gould, 1847) - Banded Physa * '' Physella virgata'' (Gould, 1855) * '' Physella virginea'' (Gould, 1847) - Sunset Physa * '' Physella winnipegensis'' ..., 2004(2004) ''Visaya'
1(2)
* '' Physella wrighti'' Te & Clarke, 1985 * '' Physella zionis'' (Pilsbry, 1926)

References

{{Authority control Physidae Taxa named by Samuel Stehman Haldeman

Shell description

Species

See also

References