Radix (genus)

Taxobox
name = "Radix"

---

image_caption = shell of "Radix auricularia"
image_width = 225px
status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Pulmonata
familia = Lymnaeidae
genus = "Radix"
genus_authority =
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text.

"Radix" is a genus of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropods in the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.

Taxonomy and systematics of the genus "Radix"

The taxonomic status of the genus "Radix" is disputed. Remigio (2002) reported sequence divergence within 16S mitochondrial gene of "R. peregra" and "R. ovata". [Remigio, E.A., 2002. Molecular phylogenetic relationships in the aquatic snail genus Lymnaea, the intermediate host of the causative agent of fascioliasis: insights from broader taxon sampling. Parasitol Res 88, 687–96.] Furthermore, shell morphology and alloenzyme data indicated that "R. peregra" and "R. ovata" are distinct. [Glöer, P., Meier-Brook, C., Osterman, O., 1987. Süsswassermollusken: ein Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Deutscher Jugendbund für Naturbeobachtung, Hamburg.] [Ward, P.I., Goater, C.P., Mikos, M., 1997. Shell variation in sympatric freshwater Lymnaea peregra and Lymnaea ovata (Gastropoda; Lymnaeidae). Biol J Linn Soc 61, 139–149.]

In contrast, Bargues et al. (2001) considered on the basis of ITS-2 sequence analysis "R. peregra", "R. ovata", and "R. balthica" as a conspecific species. [Bargues, M.D., Vigo, M., Horák, P., Dvořák, J., Patzner, R.A., Pointier, J.P., Jackiewicz, M., Meier-Brook, C., Mas-Coma, S., 2001. European Lymnaeidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda), intermediate hosts of trematodiases, based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS-2 sequences. Infect Genet Evol 1, 85–107.] .

Recent reports suggests that the taxonomic status within the genus "Radix" is more complicated, and so further investigations are needed.

* "Radix ampla" (Hartmann, 1821)
* "Radix auricularia" (Linnaeus, 1758)
** "Radix auricularia japonica" Jay, 1857 - at Japanese wikipedia
* "Radix ovata" (Draparnaud, 1805) = "Radix balthica" (Linnaeus, 1758)
* "Radix peregra" (O. F. Müller, 1774) = "Radix labiata" (Rossmässler, 1835)
* "Radix lagotis" (Schrank, 1803)

or

"R. peregra" = "R. ovata" = "R. balthica"

Parasites

Species within the genus "Radix" are utilized as intermediate hosts by several different trematode species:
*"Trichobilharzia" spp.
*"Fasciola hepatica"
*"Fasciola gigantica"
*"Fascioloides magna"
*"Plagiorchis neomidis"
*"Haplometra cylindracea"
*"Echinostoma" spp.

References