Anisus natalensis

Anisus natalensis
	Drawing of apical and apertural view of the shell of Anisus natalensis.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia ; clade Euthyneura ; clade Panpulmonata ; clade Hygrophila
Superfamily:	Planorboidea
Family:	Planorbidae
Subfamily:	Planorbinae
Tribe:	Planorbini
Genus:	Anisus
Species:	A. natalensis
Binomial name
	Anisus natalensis; (Krauss)

Last updated March 09, 2019

Anisus natalensis is a species of a freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.

In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.

Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks which live in freshwater. 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 to major rivers. The great majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions. Some groups of snails that live in freshwater respire using gills, whereas other groups need to reach the surface to breathe air. In addition, some are amphibious and have both gills and a lung. Most feed on algae, but many are detritivors and some are filter feeders.

An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in the water for most or all of its lifetime. Many insects such as mosquitoes, mayflies, dragonflies and caddisflies have aquatic larvae, with winged adults. Aquatic animals may breathe air or extract oxygen that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through the skin. Natural environments and the animals that live in them can be categorized as aquatic (water) or terrestrial (land). This designation is paraphyletic.

Distribution

This species occurs in countries that include:

South Africa ^[1]
Mozambique ^[1]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 Oberholzer G. & Van Eeden J. A. (1967). "The freshwater molluscs of the Kruger National Park". Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science 10(1): 1-42. doi : 10.4102/koedoe.v10i1.762, PDF. Fig. 21.

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[Oberholzer_1967-1] 1 2 Oberholzer G. & Van Eeden J. A. (1967). "The freshwater molluscs of the Kruger National Park". Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science 10(1): 1-42. doi : 10.4102/koedoe.v10i1.762, PDF. Fig. 21.