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Aquatic Snails of Indiana
Aquatic Snails of Indiana
This section presents a tentative list of aquatic snails of Indiana.
Tentative Checklist of Aquatic Snails of Indiana
Current taxonomic issues and perspectives make developing a good checklist is a challenge. The need for more extensive collections and suitable molecular analysis is great. A further challenge is that aquatic snails display a great deal of morphological plasticity – regionally or due to changes in size/age. Data are needed to assess local and regional geographic variability in order to better define species and their ranges.
As a result, any checklist must be considered to be tentative as well as any key to species. The names of some species below may have been changed or considered to be otherwise by some authorities. :-)
The list below is a conservative working list. The list is based primarily on two sources: Pyron et al. (2008) and Nature Serve (2021). This list has 51 species, but probably up to 7 may no longer be extant, and two species are exotic. Pyron et al. (2008) stated that in Indiana, there are "36 species that are widespread, abundant, and globally secure, including two exotics." The true number is probably closer to Pyron et al. (2008), but is truly unknown. Dillon et al. 2019 indicates 40 species from their survey which did not include the northern part of the state (not in the "catchment of the Ohio River basin above ORM 920").
The Ohio Division of Wildlife has a picture key: Freshwater Snails of Ohio Field Guide (link opens as a pdf). It is from a next-door state and while it does not have all our possible species, it can be useful for iNaturalist identifications. In the list below, (OH) indicates the Indiana species is in the Ohio guide. Many species are also pictured at the Freshwater Gastropods of North America Project species list.
Checklist of Indiana Aquatic Snails – Prosobranch Snails (elevated spire, right-handed, operculum)
Hydrobiidae
Amnicola limosa (Say, 1817) Mud Amnicola (OH)
Birgella subglobosus (Say, 1825) Globe Siltsnail
Cincinnatia integra (Say, 1821) Midland Siltsnail (OH)
Marstonia lustrica (Pilsbry, 1890) Boreal Marstonia
Pleuroceridae
Elimia livescens (Menke, 1830) Liver Elimia (OH)
Elimia semicarinata (Say, 1829) Fine-ridged Elimia
Leptoxis praerosa (Say, 1821) Onyx Rocksnail (OH)
Lithasia armigera (Say, 1821) Armored Rocksnail
Lithasia obovata (Say, 1820) Shawnee Rocksnail
Lithasia verrucosa (Rafinesque, 1820) Varicose Rocksnail (OH)
Pleurocera acuta (Rafinesque, 1831) Sharp Hornsnail (OH)
Pleurocera canaliculata (Say, 1821) Silty Hornsnail (OH)
Pomatiopsidae
Pomatiopsis cincinnatiensis (I. Lea, 1850) Brown Walker (OH)
Pomatiopsis lapidaria (Say, 1817) Slender Walker (OH)
Valvatidae
Valvata bicarinata (Lea, 1841) Two-ridge Valvata
Valvata lewisi (Currier 1868) Fringed Valvata
Valvata sincera (Say, 1824) Mossy Valvata
Valvata tricarinata (Say, 1817) Threeridge Valvata
Viviparidae
Cipangopaludina chinensis (J.E. Gray, 1834) Chinese Mysterysnail (OH)
Cipangopaludina japonica (von Martens, 1861) Japanese Mysterysnail (OH)
Campeloma decisum (Say, 1817) * Pointed Campeloma (OH)
Campeloma rufum (Haldeman, 1841) a freshwater snail
Viviparus georgianus (Lea, 1834) Banded Mysterysnail (OH)
Viviparus intertextus (Say, 1829) Rotund Mysterysnail
Viviparus subpurpureus (Say, 1829) Olive Mysterysnail
Checklist of Indiana Aquatic Snails – Pulmonate Snails (spire varies, left- or right-handed, no operculum)
Ancylidae (limpets - no spire, no handedness)
Ferrissia fragilis (Tryon, 1863) Fragile Ancylid (OH)
Ferrissia rivularis (Say, 1817) Creeping Ancylid (OH)
Laevapex fuscus (C. B. Adams, 1841) Dusky Ancylid
Lymnaeidae (elevated spire, right-handed)
Galba modicella (Say, 1825) Rock Fossaria (OH as Lymnaea)
Galba obrussa (Say, 1825) Golden Fossaria
Galba parva (I. Lea, 1841) Pygmy Fossaria
Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) * Swamp Lymnaea (OH)
Pseudosuccinea columella (Say, 1821) Mimic Lymnaea Snail (OH)
Stagnicola caperata (Say, 1829) Wrinkled Pondsnail (OH as Lymnaea)
Stagnicola catascopium (Say, 1867) Woodland Pondsnail (OH as Lymnaea)
Stagnicola elodes (Say, 1821) Marsh Pondsnail
Stagnicola exilis (I. Lea, 1838) Flat-whorled Pondsnail (OH)
Stagnicola walkeriana F.C. Baker, 1926 Calabash Pondsnail
Stagnicola woodruffi (F.C Baker, 1901) Coldwater Pondsnail
Physidae (elevated spire, left-handed)
Aplexa elongata (Say, 1821) Lance Aplexa (OH as A. hypnorum)
Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) Wandering Physa (OH)
Physella gyrina (Say, 1821) Tadpole Physa (OH)
Physella integra (Haldeman, 1841) Ashy Physa
Planorbidae (flat spire)
Gyraulus circumstriatus (Tryon, 1866) Disc Gyro
Gyraulus deflectus (Say, 1824) Flexed Gyro (OH)
Gyraulus parvus (Say, 1817) Ash Gyro (OH)
Helisoma anceps (Menke, 1830) Two-ridged Ramshorn (OH)
Planorbella campanulata (Say, 1821) Bell-mouthed Ramshorn (OH)
Planorbella trivolvis (Say, 1817) Marsh Ramshorn (OH)
Planorbula armigera (Say, 1821) Thicklip Ramshorn
Promenetus exacuous (Say, 1821) Sharp Sprite (OH)
* Indiana species of special concern
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