Bulinus | |
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A live individual of Bulinus wrighti | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Superorder: | Hygrophila |
Family: | Planorbidae |
Subfamily: | Bulininae |
Tribe: | Bulinini |
Genus: | Bulinus O. F. Müller, 1781 [1] |
Diversity [2] | |
37 extant species, at least 7 fossil species | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Bulinus is a genus of small tropical freshwater snails, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Bulinidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies. [5]
This genus is medically important because several species of Bulinus function as intermediate hosts for the schistosomiasis blood fluke. [6]
The Miocene genus Kosovia was synonymized Bulinus in 2017. [3]
These snails are widespread in Africa including Madagascar [7] and the Middle East. [8]
This genus has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA. [9]
The shell of species in the genus Bulinus is sinistral. It has a very large body whorl and a small spire.
Species within the genus Bulinus have been placed into four species groups: the Bulinus africanus group, Bulinus forskalii group, Bulinus reticulatus group and the Bulinus truncatus/tropicus complex. [6] For the most part, species have been classified on the basis of their morphology although, in recent decades, the study of ploidy, allozymes and DNA methods have all played an increasing role in species discrimination. [6] Morphological characters, whilst adequate to allocate a specimen to a species group are sometimes unreliable when used to classify at higher resolution especially within the Bulinus africanus group. [6]
There are 37 [2] (or 38 species when the Bulinus mutandensis is recognized as a separate species) species within the genus Bulinus including:
Bulinus africanus group - 10 species
Bulinus forskalii group - 11 species
Bulinus reticulatus group - 2 species
Bulinus truncatus/tropicus complex - 14-15 species
other
Biomphalaria is a genus of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonates belonging to the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails and their allies.
Gyraulus is a genus of small, mostly air-breathing, freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.
Africanogyrus is a genus of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails and their allies.
Bulinus canescens is a species of freshwater snail, a gastropod in the family Bulinidae.
Ferrissia is a genus of small, air-breathing freshwater limpets, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails and their allies.
Melanopsis is a genus of freshwater snails with a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Melanopsidae.
Theodoxus is a genus of nerites, small water snails with an operculum, some of which live in freshwater, and some in both freshwater and brackish water, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae, the nerites.
Segmentorbis is a genus of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.
Radix natalensis is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Lymnaeidae.
Bulinus forskalii is a species of tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Bulinidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.
Bulinus globosus is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.
Bulinus nasutus is a species of tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.
This article incorporates CC-BY-2.5 text from the reference [6]