Spekia zonata

Spekia zonata
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Family:	Paludomidae
Genus:	Spekia
Species:	S. zonata
Binomial name
Spekia zonata (Woodward, 1859)

Spekia zonata is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Paludomidae. This species is found in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes. The species feeds by scraping algae and organic material from rocks using a specialized ribbon-like structure called a radula. Studies of its radular teeth show differences in hardness and flexibility that allow the snail to efficiently scrape surfaces and collect food particles. ^[2]

References

1. Nicayenzi, F.; Ngereza, C. (2010). "Spekia zonata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010 e.T20442A9199571. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T20442A9199571.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
2. Krings, W.; Kovalev, A.; Glaubrecht, M.; Gorb, S. N. (2019). "Differences in the Young modulus and hardness reflect different functions of teeth within the taenioglossan radula of gastropods". Zoology. 137 125713. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2019.125713.