Code: None allocated

Class Gastropoda: Subclass Prosobranchia: Order Monotocardia.

A family of snails of saline lakes in the western and southern regions of Australia. Overseas distribution widespread but absent from Europe. There are nine Australian species in one genus, Coxiella , which previously has been placed in the families Coxiellidae, Bithyniidae, Rissoidae and Hydrobiidae.

Coxiella often occur in large populations on saline lakes, generally away from direct marine influence, sometimes in salinities up to three times that of seawater. Coxiella (Coxiella) striatula can survive only 3-4 days of low salinity. Entire 'dunes' of Coxiella (Coxiella) striata occur at the north end of Lake Corangamite, western Victoria.

The subgenus Coxiella (Coxiella) contains eight species of small to medium sized, high-spired often decollate shells, with an oval aperture and paucispiral, horny operculum often overlaid by a calcareous plug. The other subgenus, Coxiella (Coxielladda) contains a single species C.(C.) gilesi which has a conical, rarely decollate, shell. It is common in salt lakes of South Australia and Western Australia.

Some Asian pomatiopsids are intermediate hosts for human Schistosoma trematodes.

References:

Macpherson, J.H. (1957) A review of the genus Coxiella Smith 1894 sensu lato.

Western Australian Naturalist 5 : 191-204.

Smith, B.J. (1996) Identification keys to the Families and Genera of Bivalve and Gastropod Molluscs found in Australian Inland Waters . Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology Identification Guide No. 6., Albury, NSW.