Leptoxis ampla

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Leptoxis ampla
Lectotype of Leptoxis ampla (MCZ 161803).png
Lectotype of Leptoxis ampla (MCZ 161803)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Sorbeoconcha
Superfamily:
Cerithioidea
Family:
Pleuroceridae
Genus:
Leptoxis
Species:
L. ampla
Binomial name
Leptoxis ampla
(Anthony, 1855) [2]
Synonyms

Anculosa ampla Anthony, 1855 (original combination)

Contents

Leptoxis ampla, common name the round rocksnail, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

This species is endemic to the United States, specifically the state of Alabama. The snail has been listed as threatened on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species since 28 October 1998. [3]

Leptoxis ampla is a vulnerable species according to the IUCN Red list. [1]

Description

The round rocksnail is a pleurocerid snail and its shell grows to about 20 mm (0.8 in) in length. The shell is subglobose, with an ovately rounded aperture. The body whorl is shouldered at the suture, and may be ornamented with folds or plicae. Color may be yellow, dark brown, or olive green, usually with four entire or broken bands. [4] [5]

Lydeard et al. (1997) [6] found slight differences in DNA sequencing between the painted rocksnail and the round rocksnail, and considered them to be sister species. Following analysis by allozyme electrophoresis on these same species, Dillon [7] speculated that the two species represented isolated populations belonging to a single species. The two species are geographically separated, with the painted rocksnail inhabiting Coosa River tributaries, and the round rocksnail inhabiting the Cahaba River drainage. Both species are currently recognized by the malacological community. [5] [8] [9]

Distribution

The round rocksnail was historically found in the Cahaba River and the Little Cahaba River, Bibb County, Alabama; and the Coosa River, Elmore County, Alabama, and tributaries—Big Canoe and Kelly's creeks, St. Clair County, Alabama; Ohatchee Creek, Calhoun County, Alabama; Yellowleaf Creek, Shelby County, Alabama; and Waxahatchee Creek, Shelby/Chilton counties, Alabama. [4] [5] The type locality is Alabama. [2]

The round rocksnail is currently known from a shoal series in the Cahaba River, Bibb and Shelby counties, Alabama, and from the lower reach of the Little Cahaba River, and the lower reaches of Shade and Six-mile creeks in Bibb County, Alabama. [5] [10]

Reasons for the decline

The round rocksnail has disappeared from more than 90 percent of its historic range. The curtailment of habitat and range for this (and few other snail species) species in the Mobile Basin's larger rivers (Cahaba River, Coosa River and its tributaries for round rocksnail) is primarily due to extensive construction of dams, and the subsequent inundation of the snail's shoal habitats by the impounded waters. This snail has disappeared from all portions of its historic habitats that have been impounded by dams. [5]

Dams change such areas by eliminating or reducing currents, and thus allowing sediments to accumulate on inundated channel habitats. Impounded waters also experience changes in water chemistry, which could affect survival or reproduction of riverine snails. For example, many reservoirs in the Basin currently experience eutrophic (enrichment of a water body with nutrients) conditions, and chronically low dissolved oxygen levels. [11] [12] Such physical and chemical changes can affect feeding, respiration, and reproduction of these riffle and shoal snail species. [5]

Ecology

Habitat

Rocksnails are gill breathing snails found attached to cobble, gravel, or other hard substrates in the strong currents of riffles and shoals. [5]

Life cycle

Adult rocksnails move very little, and females probably glue their eggs to stones in the same habitat. [4] Longevity in the round rocksnail is unknown; however, it was reported as having a short life span (less than 2 years) in a Tennessee River rocksnail. [5] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Mobile River

The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Formed out of the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, the approximately 45-mile-long (72 km) river drains an area of 44,000 square miles (110,000 km2) of Alabama, with a watershed extending into Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its drainage basin is the fourth-largest of primary stream drainage basins entirely in the United States. The river has historically provided the principal navigational access for Alabama. Since construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, it also provides an alternative route into the Ohio River watershed.

Cahaba River

The Cahaba River is the longest substantially free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. It is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River basin. With headwaters near Birmingham, the Cahaba flows southwest, then at Heiberger turns southeast and joins the Alabama River at the ghost town and former Alabama capital of Cahaba in Dallas County. Entirely within central Alabama, the Cahaba River is 194 miles (312 km) long and drains an area of 1,870 square miles (4,800 km2).

Coosa River River in the United States of America

The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about 280 miles (450 km) long.

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge

The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,689.63 acres (15 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in central Alabama, along the Cahaba River downstream from Birmingham, Alabama. The refuge was established on September 25, 2002. Additional purchases were approved that will potentially increase the size of the refuge to 7,300 acres (29.5 km²). Additional negotiations propose an expansion to a potential 280,000 acres (1,100 km2), most of which currently belongs to private landowners. The facility is unstaffed, but is administered by the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge in Anniston, Alabama.

<i>Hymenocallis coronaria</i> Species of aquatic plant

Hymenocallis coronaria, commonly known as the Cahaba lily, shoal lily, or shoals spider-lily, is an aquatic, perennial flowering plant species of the genus Hymenocallis. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States, being found only in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. Within Alabama, it is known as the Cahaba lily; elsewhere it is known as the Shoal lily or Shoals spider-lily.

Blue shiner Species of fish

The blue shiner is a species of fish in the carp family. It is native to the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to the Cahaba and Coosa River systems of the Mobile River Basin. This is a federally listed threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States.

Cahaba pebblesnail Species of gastropod

The Cahaba pebblesnail, scientific name Clappia cahabensis, is a species of very small freshwater snail, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Lithoglyphidae.

The lacy elimia also known as the lacey elimia, scientific name Elimia crenatella, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

The †agate rocksnail, scientific name Leptoxis clipeata, was a freshwater snail in the family Pleuroceridae. Like all Leptoxis, the species required free-flowing unpolluted water. It was endemic to parts of the Coosa River in Alabama, now impounded.

Oblong rocksnail Species of gastropod

The oblong rocksnail is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

The interrupted rocksnail, scientific name †Leptoxis foremanii, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

Plicate rocksnail Species of gastropod

The plicate rocksnail, scientific name Leptoxis plicata, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

The Coosa rocksnail, scientific name †Leptoxis showalterii, also known as the "ribbed rocksnail", was a species of freshwater snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pleuroceridae.

Painted rocksnail Species of gastropod

The painted rocksnail is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

Flat pebblesnail Species of gastropod

The flat pebblesnail is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Lithoglyphidae.

Cylindrical lioplax Species of gastropod

The cylindrical lioplax, scientific name Lioplax cyclostomaformis, is a species of freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Viviparidae.

The rough hornsnail, scientific name Pleurocera foremani, is a rare species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

<i>Elimia showalteri</i> Species of gastropod

Elimia showalteri, common name the compact elimia, is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pleuroceridae.

Rainbow shiner Species of fish

The rainbow shiner is a North American species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.

References

This article incorporates public domain text (a public domain work of the United States Government) from the reference. [5]

  1. 1 2 Bogan, A.E. (1996). "Leptoxis ampla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1996: e.T11772A3304663. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T11772A3304663.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Anthony J. G. (1855). "Descriptions of new species of Ancylus and Anculosa, from western states of North America". Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York 6: 158–160. Plate V, figure 22–23.
  3. ↑ Fish and Wildlife Service. (28 October 1998). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for Three Aquatic Snails, and Threatened Status for Three Aquatic Snails in the Mobile River Basin of Alabama". Federal Register 63(208), Rules and Regulations, Accessed 26 January 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 Goodrich C. (1922). "The Anculosae of the Alabama River Drainage". Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (7): 1–57.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2005). Recovery Plan for 6 Mobile River Basin Aquatic Snails. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jackson, Mississippi. 46 pp. pages 11–12 and page 15.
  6. ↑ Lydeard, C.; Holznagel, W. E.; Garner, J.; Hartfield, P.; Pierson, J. M. (1997). "A Molecular Phylogeny of Mobile River Drainage Basin Pleurocerid Snails (Caenogastropoda: Cerithioidea)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 7 (1): 117–128. doi:10.1006/mpev.1996.0377. PMID   9007026.
  7. ↑ Dillon, in litt., 1997
  8. ↑ Burch J. B. (1989). "North American freshwater snails". Malacological Publications, Hamburg, Michigan. 365 pp.
  9. ↑ Turgeon D. D., Quinn J. F. Jr., Bogan A. E., Coan E. V., Hochberg F. G., Lyons W. G., Mikkelsen P. M., Neves R. J., Roper C. F. E., Rosenberg G., Roth B., Scheltema A., Thompson F. G., Vecchione M. & Williams J. D. (1998). "Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks". American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26: 36.
  10. ↑ Bogan A. E. & Pierson J. M. (1993). Survey of the aquatic gastropods of the Cahaba River Basin, Alabama: 1992. Alabama Natural Heritage Program. Contract Number 1922.
  11. ↑ Alabama Department of Environmental Management. (1994). Water quality report to Congress for calendar years 1992 and 1993. Montgomery, Alabama. 111 pp.
  12. ↑ Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). (1996). Water quality report to Congress for calendar years 1994 and 1995. Montgomery, Alabama. 144 pp.
  13. ↑ Heller J. (1990). "Longevity in molluscs". Malacologia 31(2): 259–295.

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