| Zospeum zaldivarae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Superorder: | Eupulmonata |
| Order: | Ellobiida |
| Family: | Ellobiidae |
| Subfamily: | Carychiinae |
| Genus: | Zospeum |
| Species: | Z. zaldivarae |
| Binomial name | |
| Zospeum zaldivarae Prieto, De Winter, Weigand, Gomez & Jochum, 2015 | |
Zospeum zaldivarae is a cave-dwelling species of air-breathing land snail.
This species has an average shell height of ca. 1.5 mm and an average shell width of ca. 1.2 mm. It is larger, wider and less elongated compared to other Zospeum species. The shell is transparent, when fresh, and chalky white with age. It has a turbinate-conical shape with approximately 5 1/2 regularly coiled, convex, rounded whorls. The last whorl is large, tumid and encompasses ca. 2/3 of the shell height. The opening (aperture) of the shell is crescent-shaped. Zospesum zaldivarae seems to be polymorphic regarding the presence/absence of the apertural barriers. Some individuals show an apertural dentition, some not. [1] [2] The apertural dentition (if any) consists of a small, short lamella on the parietal wall and a tooth on the parietal-columellar corner of the peristome. The columellar and palatal-basal lip are narrowly reflected. The umbilicus is closed, and the umbilical depression is deep. The teleoconch possess irregular axial striae or blunt growth lines, which are often crossed by a spiral element. In a small area immediately behind the palatal-basal lip some axial ribbing were observed. The peristome is higher than wide, taking up about half of the shell height. It is closely adhering to the spire and has an angular shape with a straight palatal-columellar callus. [2]
Zospeum zaldivarae was discovered in the Cueva de Las Paúles in the Sierra Salvada in the Province of Burgos in Northern Spain by the biologist and speleologist Pilar Zaldívar in the 1980s.
Zospeum zaldivarae is named after Pilar Zaldívar, who is part of the Niphargus Speleoloical Team and discovered the species.
This species is only known from the type locality, Cueva de Las Paúles in the Sierra Salvada in the Province Burgos in Northern Spain. [3] [2]
Zospeum zaldivarae was identified on moist, muddy walls in a karst cave at an altitude of ca. 840 m. They were found embedded in a muddy sediment matrix, interspersed with a yellow- and white-coloured fungal aggregation. [2]
Currently, Zospeum zaldivarae is known to inhabit only one locality. This locality is relatively easily accessible to the public and thereby threatened. Due to the limitation of the species to one locality and according to the Guidelines of the IUCN Red List, it is a vulnerable, narrow range endemic. [2]
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where the head-foot part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc.
Carychiinae is a taxonomic subfamily of minute air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.
Zospeum is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Ellobiidae, the salt marsh snails.
Vertigo ronnebyensis is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.
Vertigo antivertigo is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.
Ellobiidae, common name the hollow-shelled snails, is a family of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Eupulmonata. Ellobiidae is the only family in the superfamily Ellobioidea, according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
Carychium is a genus of very small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Ellobiidae.
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Amnicola missouriensis, common name the Missouri amnicola, is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Amnicolidae.
Gulella streptostelopsis is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Streptaxidae.
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Zospeum tholussum is a cave-dwelling species of air-breathing land snails in the family Ellobiidae. It is a very small species, with a shell height of less than 2 mm (0.08 in) and a shell width of around 1 mm (0.04 in). Z. tholussum individuals are completely blind and possess translucent shells with five to six whorls. The second whorl of their shells has a characteristic dome-like shape. They are also extremely slow-moving and may depend on passive transportation through running water or larger animals for dispersal.
Boucardicus ambindaensis is a species of land snail with an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Cyclophoridae. This species is endemic to Madagascar, occurs in Tsingy Beanka reserve, around 50 km east of Maintirano city.
Perrottetia aquilonaria is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Streptaxidae.
Perrottetia hongthinhae is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Streptaxidae.
Zospeum vasconicum is a cave-dwelling species of air-breathing land snails.
Koreozospeum is a genus of small air-breathing land snails. It contains a single species, Koreozospeum nodongense.
Zospeum robustum is a cave-dwelling species of air-breathing land snails.
Zospeum bucculentum is a cave-dwelling species of air-breathing land snails.
Laoennea renouardi is one of two species in the genus Laoennea of the Asian terrestrial snail family Diapheridae.