This is one of several species of Austropyrgus found in the southern half of New South Wales. They are all very similar, separated only by small differences in size and shape of the shells and in anatomical details. They have elongate-conic shells with adults having a slightly thickened aperture, and the operculum bears several pegs.
This species, unlike the other two (A. wombeyanensis and A. lippus) living near or at the Wombeyan Caves, lives away from the caves proper (see locality details) and differs from the others in the transparent shell with more flattened whorls and a distinctly reflected aperture.
Austropyrgus avius Clark, Miller & Ponder, 2003
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Caenogastropoda
Order Littorinida
Suborder Rissoidina
Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Family Tateidae
Genus Austropyrgus Cotton, 1942
Original name: Austropyrgus avius Clark, Miller & Ponder, 2003. In Clark, S. A., Miller, A. C. & Ponder, W. F. (2003). Revision of the snail genus Austropyrgus (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae): A morphostatic radiation of freshwater gastropods in southeastern Australia. Records of the Australian Museum Supplement 28: 1–109.
Type locality: Near Wombeyan Caves, at road.
On water weeds, hard substrata (rocks etc.) and crawling on litter and sediment. Abundant in the few metres of stream where it is known to occur. Assumed to feed by scraping bacteria and microalgae. Presumed solitary capsules with single egg. Direct development.
Creek crossing Wombeyan Caves Rd., 2 km east of Goodmans Ford Bridge, New South Wales.
Most species of Austropyrgus are geographically isolated and have restricted ranges. This is one of three species found in the vicinity of Wombeyan Caves.
Clark, S. A., Miller, A. C. & Ponder, W. F. (2003). Revision of the snail genus Austropyrgus (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae): a morphostatic radiation of freshwater gastropods in southeastern Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 28: 1–109.
