Bythinella

Taxobox
name = "Bythinella"


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Shell of "compressa"-type "Bythinella reyniesii" on 1 millimetre grid paper
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Caenogastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
subordo = Hypsogastropoda
infraordo = Littorinimorpha
superfamilia = Rissooidea
familia = Hydrobiidae
genus = "Bythinella"
genus_authority = Moquin-Tandon, 1856
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =Many, see text

"Bythinella" is a gastropod genus in the family Hydrobiidae. These gonochoristic snails are small animals, with a shell length of about 2-4 mmBichain "et al." (2007)] . "Amnicola" is a close relative, containing North American snails with essentially similar appearance and ecology. The scientific name means "small "Bithynia"; the latter snail genus is somewhat similar at a casual glance (though much larger) but not at all closely related among the Rissooidea.

The present genus occurs in springs, and sometimes caves or groundwater, from Catalonia across central Europe to the Aegean Region of Turkey. In and around France a particularly high diversity of these snails is found. Due to the limited range and special and easily-destroyed habitat, these snails are liable to become endangered species.

elected species

More than 80 species and subspecies are recognized at present. However, it is not at all clear that all of those recognized as good species are actually that distinct, and some in fact seem to be local morphs intead of valid taxa. Some undescribed species are also known to exist.

* "Bythinella austriaca"
* "Bythinella badensis"
* "Bythinella bavarica"
* "Bythinella bicarinata" (including "B. dunkeri", "B. lalindei", "B. moulinsii", "B. poujolensis")
* "Bythinella carinulata"
* "Bythinella cebennensis" (Dupuy, 1851) (including "B. anianensis" )
* "Bythinella cylindrica"
* "Bythinella eurystoma" (Paladilhe, 1870)
* "Bythinella intermedia"
* "Bythinella pannonica"
* "Bythinella padiraci"
* "Bythinella pupoides"
* "Bythinella robiciana"
* "Bythinella rubiginosa" (Boubee, 1833) (including "B. simoniana" )
* "Bythinella reyniesii" (including "B. compressa", "B. parvula")
* "Bythinella schmidtii"
* "Bythinella vesontiana"
* "Bythinella utriculus" (Paladilhe, 1874)
* "Bythinella viridis"
* "Bythinella" sp. 'Dufort-Lacapelette'
* "Bythinella" sp. 'Padirac'
* "Bythinella" sp. 'Rogues'

Footnotes

References

* (2007): A gleam in the dark: Phylogenetic species delimitation in the confusing spring-snail genus "Bythinella" Moquin-Tandon, 1856 (Gastropoda: Rissooidea: Amnicolidae). "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 45(3): 927–941. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.018 [http://bichain.free.fr/doc/bichain_etal_MolPhylEvol_2007.pdf PDF fulltext]