Peringia ulvae | |
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A shell of Peringia ulvae | |
Scientific classification | |
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Species: | P. ulvae |
Binomial name | |
Peringia ulvae | |
Synonyms [2] [3] | |
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Peringia ulvae (or Hydrobia ulvae), common name the Laver spire shell or mudsnail, is a European species of very small aquatic snail with gills and an operculum, a gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae. [2]
This is arguably a marine snail, but it is often also listed as a non-marine species because it tolerates brackish water and lives in salt marshes and similar habitats.
Peringia ulvae is the type species of the genus Peringia. [4]
This species occurs on the coasts of the Baltic Sea, the White Sea [5] the Eastern Atlantic and the western Mediterranean Sea, [3] (the Mediterranean records may be in error) [6] including:
The type locality is "on the shores of Flintshire", Wales, United Kingdom. [1] The distribution type is Oceanic Wide Temperate
This species was originally described by Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant in 1777. [1] Pennant's original text (the type description) reads as follows: [1]
Ulvae.
T. with four spires, the first ventricose; of a deep brown color; aperture oval.
Size of a grain of wheat.
Tab. lxxxvi. fig. 120.Inhabits Ulva Lactuca on the shores of Flintshire.
"T." is an abbreviated word testa from Latin language, that means "shell".
The shell is often heavily corroded, usually whitish with brown peristome present on the last whorl. [3] The shell has 5-7 very weakly convex whorls, that are regularly increasing but not always regularly rounded. [3] The lip is attached to the last whorl. [3]
The width of the shell is 2.5–3 mm. [3] The height of the shell is 4-5.5 mm. [3]
Peringia ulvae is a widespread and abundant member of the benthic fauna of estuarine habitats and coastal brackish and salt waters. [7] [3] It is very common in brackish water and saltwater, in estuaries and salt marshes. [3] It is most common in the upper half of the intertidal zone. [3] It tolerates salinity 1.0-3.3 %. [3]
Peringia ulvae seems to prefer more exposed localities with less vegetation than the mudsnails Ecrobia ventrosa and Hydrobia neglecta . [3]
Peringia ulvae feeds on detritus and it also consumes seaweeds directly. [3]
It is pederictional dioecious with sexes being easily identified through dissection. [7] On the west coast of Wales this species has peaks of spawning activity in spring and autumn and produces planktotrophic larvae (veliger) [8] that remain in the plankton for up to four weeks before settlement. [7] This period of development affords the potential for dispersal to new habitats and mixing with geographically separate populations. [7] The species provides an interesting case for molecular analysis as the pelagic dispersal phase raises fascinating questions on gene flow, differentiation, recruitment, and inbreeding, but there remains the potential for self-recruitment of estuarine populations. [7]
One of its natural predators is the Arctic barrel-bubble ( Retusa obtusa ).[ citation needed ] In Ireland Peringia ulvae is an important source of food for overwintering waders.
Assiminea is a genus of minute, salt-tolerant snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks, or micromollusks, in the family Assimineidae.
Hydrobia is a genus of very small brackish water snails with a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Hydrobiidae.
Peringia is a genus of very small snails with gills and an operculum, gastropod mollusks in the family Hydrobiidae.
Tritia reticulata, common name the "netted dog whelk", is a species of small European sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nassariidae, the dog whelks or nassa mud snails.
Euspira catena, previously known as Natica catena, common name the large necklace shell, is a medium-sized species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
Hydrobia acuta neglecta is a European subspecies of small brackish water snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae.
Ecrobia ventrosa, common name : the spire snail, is a European species of small brackish water snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae.
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Alvania lactea is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Rissoidae.
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This article incorporates public domain text from references [3] [1] and CC-BY-2.0 text from the reference [7]
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