Gundlachia neozelanica

Taxobox
name = "Gundlachia neozelanica"


image_caption =
image_width =
status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Pulmonata
familia = Ancylidae
genus = "Gundlachia"
species = "G. neozelanica"
binomial = "Gundlachia neozelanica"
binomial_authority = Suter, 1905
synonyms =

"Gundlachia neozelanica" is a species of minute freshwater snail or limpet, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk, or micromollusk, in the family Ancylidae, the river limpets.

These animals have a pallial lung, as do all pulmonate snails, but they also have a false gill or "pseudobranch". This serves as a gill as, in their non-tidal habitat, these limpets never reach the surface for air.

Distribution

This freshwater limpet is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.

Habitat

These tiny limpets are found attached to stems and undersides of leaves of aquatic plants in quiet waters.

hell description

The shell is very small, depressed conical, with subparallel sides, the apex at the posterior sixth. The septum is partly formed in some examples.

The shell length is up to 3 mm, the width up to 2 mm, and height up to .75 mm.

References

* Powell A W B, "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1