Viviparidae

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Viviparidae
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic–Recent
Viviparus contectus met operculum2.JPG
An alive but retracted individual of Viviparus contectus , showing the operculum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Architaenioglossa
Superfamily: Viviparoidea
Family: Viviparidae
J. E. Gray, 1847 [1]
Diversity [2]
125–150 freshwater species

Viviparidae, commonly called river snails or mystery snails, are a family of freshwater snails with gills and a protective lid (operculum). Recent studies show that their family tree is more complex than expected, with genetic evidence suggesting some species don't fit neatly into traditional groups. [3] These snails are found in lakes and rivers across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America, where some, like Cipangopaludina japonica, have spread as invasive species thanks to their ability to adapt [4] .

Contents

Intact image of Viviparus contectus from Netherlands Viviparidae.jpg
Intact image of Viviparus contectus from Netherlands
Empty shells of Viviparidae Bellamya unicolor Viviparidae Bellamya unicolor (Olivier, 1804).jpg
Empty shells of Viviparidae Bellamya unicolor
Viviparidae image Viviparidae image.jpg
Viviparidae image

Distribution

This family occurs nearly worldwide in temperate and tropical regions, with the exception that they are absent from South America.

There are two genera of Viviparidae in Africa: Bellamya and Neothauma . [5]

The oldest known vivparid is Viviparus langtonensis from the Middle Jurassic of England. [6] The oldest records from the Southern Hemisphere is from the Late Jurassic Talbragar fossil beds of Australia. [7]

Viviparidae snails live in freshwater spots like rivers and lakes across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. Recent surveys show they're spread out widely in places like Russia and China, adapting well to different environments [8] .You won't find them in South America, though. Some, like Cipangopaludina japonica, have even popped up in new areas, such as North America, because they're good at moving in and taking over [9]

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The family Viviparidae contains 3 subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):

Scientists used to group Viviparidae snails based on how they look, but new research using DNA has shaken things up. Studies of snail genes, like those from species such as Viviparus chui and Cipangopaludina chinensis, show that some don't belong where we thought they did, making the family tree more complicated than expected [3] .In Japan, DNA tests on snails like Sinotaia quadrata histrica also found differences between what their genes say and how they've been classified before. [10] This means figuring out how these snails are related is still a work in progress. [11]

Morphology and evolution

Viviparidae snails have shells that can look different depending on where they live, and early studies suggest their surroundings help shape them over time. A scientist named Annandale found that things like water conditions might change how their shells grow, making them better suited to freshwater life [12] .Today, research on snails like Cipangopaludina japonicashows their shells and bodies are built in ways that help them thrive, even in new places where they've spread. [13] These snails can live anywhere from 3 to 11 years, depending on their environment.[ citation needed ]

Genera

Genera within the family Viviparidae include:

Genera brought into synonymy

Lifecycle

Viviparidare are viviparous: they give birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs. [22] First, internal fertilization occurs, and from the on embryos continue to develop within the female's brood pouch. Here, they are nourished until they are matured. Once matured, the offsprings are released into the water as miniature versions of the adults. This method has shown to increase their chances of survival in freshwater environments. [23] Life spans have been reported from 3 to 11 years in various species of Viviparidae, depending on environmental conditions and species type. [24]

Fossil record

Viviparidae snails have been around for a long time, and their fossils, like Viviparus langtonensis, show they've lived in freshwater for millions of years. Recent DNA studies back this up, hinting at how these snails split into different types way back in history. [3] These old clues help us understand where they came from and how they've changed.

References

  1. ↑ Gray J. E. (November 1847) (1833). "A list of genera of Recent Mollusca, their synonyma and types". Proceedings of the Zoological Society in London, 15: 129-182. Viviparidae at page 155.
  2. ↑ Strong E. E., Gargominy O., Ponder W. F. & Bouchet P. (2008). "Global Diversity of Gastropods (Gastropoda; Mollusca) in Freshwater". Hydrobiologia 595: 149-166. hdl:10088/7390 doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9012-6.
  3. 1 2 3 Wang, Ju-Guang; Zhang, Dong; Jakovlić, Ivan; Wang, Wei-Min (25 July 2017). "Sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genomes of eight freshwater snail species exposes pervasive paraphyly within the Viviparidae family (Caenogastropoda)". PLOS ONE. 12 (7) e0181699. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1281699W. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181699 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   5526530 . PMID   28742843.
  4. ↑ Bocxlaer, Bert Van; Strong, Ellen E. (15 June 2016). "Anatomy, functional morphology, evolutionary ecology and systematics of the invasive gastropod Cipangopaludina japonica (Viviparidae: Bellamyinae)". Contributions to Zoology. 85 (2): 235–263. doi:10.1163/18759866-08502005. ISSN   1875-9866.
  5. 1 2 Brown D. S. (1994). Freshwater Snails of Africa and their Medical Importance. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   0-7484-0026-5.
  6. ↑ Stelbrink, Björn; Richter, Romy; Köhler, Frank; Riedel, Frank; Strong, Ellen E; Van Bocxlaer, Bert; Albrecht, Christian; Hauffe, Torsten; Page, Timothy J; Aldridge, David C; Bogan, Arthur E (15 February 2020). "Global Diversification Dynamics Since the Jurassic: Low Dispersal and Habitat-Dependent Evolution Explain Hotspots of Diversity and Shell Disparity in River Snails (Viviparidae)". Systematic Biology. 69 (5): 944–961. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syaa011. hdl: 20.500.12210/34294 . ISSN   1063-5157. PMID   32061133.
  7. ↑ Frese, Michael; Ponder, Winston (3 July 2021). "Proviviparus talbragarensis gen. et sp. nov., the first viviparid snail from the Late Jurassic of Australia" . Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 45 (3): 344–353. Bibcode:2021Alch...45..344F. doi:10.1080/03115518.2021.1940276. ISSN   0311-5518. S2CID   238777174.
  8. ↑ Anistratenko, V. V.; Degtyarenko, E. V.; Anistratenko, O. Yu.; Prozorova, L. A. (1 December 2014). "Modern distribution of gastropod mollusks of the family Viviparidae (Caenogastropoda) in continental water bodies of Eurasia" . Biology Bulletin. 41 (9): 742–751. Bibcode:2014BioBu..41..742A. doi:10.1134/S1062359014090027. ISSN   1608-3059.
  9. ↑ Bocxlaer, Bert Van; Strong, Ellen E. (15 June 2016). "Anatomy, functional morphology, evolutionary ecology and systematics of the invasive gastropod Cipangopaludina japonica (Viviparidae: Bellamyinae)". Contributions to Zoology. 85 (2): 235–263. doi:10.1163/18759866-08502005. ISSN   1875-9866.
  10. ↑ Lee, Young-Jae; Choi, Kwang-Sik; Lee, Dae-Sung; Lee, Won Chan; Park, Hyun Je; Choy, Eun Jung; Kim, Hyung Chul; Kang, Chang-Keun (1 November 2015). "The role of the adductor muscle as an energy storage organ in the pen shell Atrina japonica (Reeve, 1858)" . Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81 (4): 502–511. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyv025. ISSN   0260-1230.
  11. ↑ "ADW: Viviparidae: CLASSIFICATION". animaldiversity.org. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  12. ↑ Annandale, N.; Alcock, Alfred William (January 1997). "The evolution of the shell-sculpture in fresh-water snails of the family Viviparidæ". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Containing Papers of a Biological Character. 96 (672): 60–76. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1924.0011 .
  13. ↑ Bocxlaer, Bert Van; Strong, Ellen E. (15 June 2016). "Anatomy, functional morphology, evolutionary ecology and systematics of the invasive gastropod Cipangopaludina japonica (Viviparidae: Bellamyinae)". Contributions to Zoology. 85 (2): 235–263. doi:10.1163/18759866-08502005. ISSN   1875-9866.
  14. ↑ Van Bocxlaer, Bert; Strong, Ellen E; Richter, Romy; Stelbrink, Björn; Rintelen, Thomas Von (14 December 2017). "Anatomical and genetic data reveal that Rivularia Heude, 1890 belongs to Viviparinae (Gastropoda: Viviparidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 182 (1): 1–23. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx014. ISSN   0024-4082.
  15. 1 2 (file created 29 July 2010) FRESH WATER MOLLUSCAN SPECIES IN INDIA [ permanent dead link ]. 11 pp. accessed 31 July 2010.
  16. 1 2 Zhang, L. J.; Chen, S. C.; Yang, L. T.; Jin, L.; Köhler, F. (2015). "Systematic revision of the freshwater snail Nevill, 1877 (Mollusca: Viviparidae) endemic to the ancient lakes of Yunnan, China, with description of new taxa". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 174 (4): 760–800. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12260 .
  17. ↑ Sivan, N.; Heller, J.; van Damme, D. (2006). "Fossil Viviparidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Levant". Journal of Conchology. 39 (2): 207–220. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  18. 1 2 Kear, B. P.; Hamilton-Bruce, R. J.; Smith, B. J.; Gowlett-Holmes, K. L. (2003). "Reassessment of Australia's oldest freshwater snail, Viviparus (?) albascopularis Etheridge, 1902 (Mollusca : Gastropoda: Viviparidae), from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian, Wallumbilla Formation) of White Cliffs, New South Wales". Molluscan Research . 23 (2): 149–158. Bibcode:2003MollR..23..149K. doi: 10.1071/MR03003 .
  19. ↑ River Snail (Notopala sublineata). accessed 26 September 2010
  20. ↑ Du L.-N., Yang J.-X. & Chen X.-Y. (2011). "A new species of Trochotaia (Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae) from Yunnan, China". Molluscan Research 31(2): 85-89. abstract
  21. 1 2 Hamilton-Bruce R. J., Smith B. J. & Gowlett-Holmes K. L. (2002). "Descriptions of a new genus and two new species of viviparid snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Viviparidae) from the Early Cretaceous (middle-late Albian) Griman Creek Formation of Lightning Ridge, northern New South Wales". Records of the South Australian Museum 35': 193–203. PDF
  22. ↑ "The Viviparidae | The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland". conchsoc.org. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  23. ↑ Neucker, Tom Van den; Schildermans, Tom; Scheers, Kevin (2017). "The invasive Chinese mystery snail Bellamya chinensis (Gastropoda: Viviparidae) expands its European range to Belgium". Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems (418): 8. doi:10.1051/kmae/2016040. hdl: 10067/1399100151162165141 . ISSN   1961-9502.
  24. ↑ Jakubik, Beata (8 April 2020). "Life strategies of Viviparidae (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda: Architaenioglossa) in various aquatic habitats: Viviparus viviparus (Linnaeus, 1758) and V. contectus (Millet, 1813)". Folia Malacologica. 20 (3): 145–179. doi:10.2478/v10125-012-0013-3. ISSN   1506-7629.

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