''Tylomelania'' 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
freshwater snail
Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks which 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 ...
s which have an
operculum,
aquatic 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
Pachychilidae. In the aquarium hobby, snails from this genus are commonly known as "rabbit snails" (not to be confused with
sea hares).
A
sister group
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree.
Definition
The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram:
Taxon A and ...
(the closest relative) of ''Tylomelania'' is genus ''
Pseudopotamis
''Pseudopotamis'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pachychilidae.
Distribution
It occurs on the Torres Strait Islands.
A sister group (the closest relative) of ''Pseudopotam ...
'' (2 species living on the
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total land ...
).
[von Rintelen T., Stelbrink B. Marwoto R. M. & Glaubrecht M. (2014). "A Snail Perspective on the Biogeography of Sulawesi, Indonesia: Origin and Intra-Island Dispersal of the Viviparous Freshwater Gastropod ''Tylomelania''". ''PLoS ONE'' 9(6): e98917. .] ''Tylomelania'' and ''Pseudopotamis'' split in the
Middle Miocene c. 19.5 Mya.
Distribution

These freshwater snails are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to
Sulawesi in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
with the vast majority restricted to
Lake Poso
Lake Poso ( id, Danau Poso) is a lake in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the third-deepest lake in Indonesia.
The town of Pendolo is situated at the southern end of the lake, the town of Tentena is located at the northern end, while a nu ...
and the Malili Lake system (consisting of
Matano
Lake Matano ( id, Danau Matano), also known as Matana, is a natural lake in East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia. With a depth of , it is the deepest lake in Indonesia (ranked by maximum depth), the 10th deepest lake in the wo ...
and
Towuti, and the smaller
Lontoa (Wawantoa),
Mahalona,
Masapi).
[von Rintelen T., von Rintelen K. & Glaubrecht M. (2010). "The species flock of the viviparous freshwater gastropod ''Tylomelania'' (Mollusca: Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) in the ancient lakes of Sulawesi, Indonesia: the role of geography, trophic morphology and colour as driving forces in adaptive radiation." pp. 485–512 in: Glaubrecht, M. & Schneider H. eds. (2010). ''Evolution in Action: Adaptive Radiations and the Origins of Biodiversity''. Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.]
They probably cannot live at an altitude above about 700 m.
Species
There were known 34 described species in 2005.
Thomas von Rintelen with colleagues described 15 new species of ''Tylomelania'' in 2003–2008.
''Tylomelania'' species diversification started in c. 5.4 Mya and was probably caused by the
late Miocene
The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million years ago) to 5.333 Ma.
The ...
and
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58[orogeny
Orogeny is a mountain building process. An orogeny is an event that takes place at a convergent plate margin when plate motion compresses the margin. An '' orogenic belt'' or ''orogen'' develops as the compressed plate crumples and is uplifted ...](_blank)
.
Species within the genus ''Tylomelania'' include:
* ''
Tylomelania abendanoni
''Tylomelania abendanoni'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
The specific name ''abendanoni'' is in honor of Dutch malacologist Eduard Cornelius Abendanon (1878-196 ...
'' (Kruimel, 1913)
* ''
Tylomelania amphiderita
''Tylomelania'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pachychilidae. In the aquarium hobby, snails from this genus are commonly known as "rabbit snails" (not to be confused with sea ...
'' von Rintelen, Bouchet & Glaubrecht, 2007
[von Rintelen, Bouchet P. & Glaubrecht M. (2007). "Ancient lakes as hotspots of diversity: a morphological review of an endemic species flock of ''Tylomelania'' (Gastropoda: Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) in the Malili lake system on Sulawesi, Indonesia". ''Hydrobiologia'' 592:11–94. .]
* ''
Tylomelania bakara
''Tylomelania'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pachychilidae. In the aquarium hobby, snails from this genus are commonly known as "rabbit snails" (not to be confused with sea ha ...
'' von Rintelen & Glaubrecht, 2003
[von Rintelen T. & Glaubrecht M. (2003). "New discoveries in old lakes: three new species of ''Tylomelania'' Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897 (Gastropoda: Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) from the Malili lake system on Sulawesi, Indonesia". '' Journal of Molluscan Studies'' 69(1): 3–17. ]
* ''
Tylomelania baskasti'' von Rintelen & Glaubrecht, 2008
[von Rintelen T. & Glaubrecht M. (2008). "Three new species of the freshwater snail genus ''Tylomelania'' (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) from the Malili lake system, Sulawesi, Indonesia". '']Zootaxa
''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view ...
'' 1852: 37–49
PDF
* ''
Tylomelania carbo
''Tylomelania carbo'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
The sister group (the closest relative) of ''Tylomelania carbo'' is ''Tylomelania toradjarum''.
Distributi ...
'' Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897
* ''
Tylomelania carota
''Tylomelania carota'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Kalaena River drainage, Sulawesi, Indonesia.von Rintelen T. & Gl ...
'' (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1898)
* ''
Tylomelania celebicola
''Tylomelania celebicola'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
This species was originally described as a subspecies. The specific name ''celebicola'' is derived from th ...
'' (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1898)
* ''
Tylomelania centaurus
''Tylomelania centaurus'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called ...
'' (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1898)
* ''
Tylomelania confusa
''Tylomelania'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have an Operculum (gastropod), operculum, aquatic animal, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pachychilidae. In the aquarium hobby, snails from this genus are commonly known as "rabbit sn ...
'' von Rintelen, Bouchet & Glaubrecht, 2007
* ''
Tylomelania connectens
''Tylomelania connectens'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
This species was originally described as a subspecies.
Distribution
This species occurs in Poso Riv ...
'' Sarasin & Sarasin, 1898
* ''
Tylomelania gemmifera
''Tylomelania gemmifera'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
Distribution
This species occurs in Malili lakes, Sulawesi, Indonesia. It occurs in one lake; the type ...
'' (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897)
* ''
Tylomelania hannelorae
''Tylomelania hannelorae'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
The specific name ''hannelorae'' is in honor of Hannelore Glaubrecht, who participated on the malacolo ...
'' von Rintelen & Glaubrecht, 2008
* ''
Tylomelania helmuti
''Tylomelania helmuti'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
The specific name ''helmuti'' is in honor of Helmut Glaubrecht, father of the second author and supporter ...
'' von Rintelen & Glaubrecht, 2003
* ''
Tylomelania inconspicua'' von Rintelen, Bouchet & Glaubrecht, 2007
* ''
Tylomelania insulaesacrae
''Tylomelania insulaesacrae'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
Distribution
This species occurs in Malili lakes, Sulawesi, Indonesia. It occur in the single lake ...
'' (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897)
* ''
Tylomelania kristinae'' von Rintelen, Bouchet & Glaubrecht, 2007
* ''
Tylomelania kruimeli
''Tylomelania'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have an Operculum (gastropod), operculum, aquatic animal, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pachychilidae. In the aquarium hobby, snails from this genus are commonly known as "rabbit sn ...
'' von Rintelen & Glaubrecht, 2003
* ''
Tylomelania kuli
''Tylomelania'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pachychilidae. In the aquarium hobby, snails from this genus are commonly known as "rabbit snails" (not to be confused with sea ha ...
'' (Sarasin & Sarasin, 1898)
* ''
Tylomelania lalemae
''Tylomelania lalemae'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
Distribution
This species occurs in Malili Lakes, Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is ...
'' (Kruimel, 1913)
* ''
Tylomelania mahalonensis
''Tylomelania mahalonensis'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae.
The specific name ''mahalonensis'' is taken from that of Lake Mahalona, where this species of snail ...
'' (Kruimel, 1913)
– synonym: ''Tylomelania mahalonica'' (Kruimel, 1913)