This species belongs to the Austropyrgus sparsus group, whose members are characterised by the following shell features: small to medium-sized shells, conical, with convex to slightly convex whorls. In females, the coiled oviduct is of an inverted U-shape or with two or more bends, loops or twists.
Austropyrgus gippslandicus differs from other members of the group in the following combination of characters: shell small, with convex whorls; prostate gland about 1/2–2/3 in pallial roof; pallial vas deferens raised above surface, with overlying loops/coils at prostate gland; coiled oviduct and bursal join just behind pallial wall.
This species is not found in sympatry with any other species of Austropyrgus.
Austropyrgus gippslandicus (Ponder, Colgan, Clark, Miller & Terzis, 1994)
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Caenogastropoda
Order Littorinida
Suborder Rissoidina
Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Family Tateidae
Genus Austropyrgus Cotton, 1942
Original name: Fluvidona gippslandica Ponder, Colgan, Clark, Miller & Terzis, 1994. In Ponder, W.F., Colgan, D. J., Clark, G. A., Miller, A. C. & Terzis, T. (1994). Microgeographic, genetic and morphological differentiation of freshwater snails—the Hydrobiidae of Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 42: 557–678.
Type locality: Franklin River at South Gippsland Hwy, E of Foster, Victoria.
In streams and springs on water weeds, hard substrata (rocks etc.) and crawling on litter and sediment. Can be locally abundant. Assumed to feed by scraping bacteria and microalgae. Lay solitary capsules containing a single egg. Direct development.
This species is currently only known from a few small tributaries of the Franklin River, north of Wilsons Promontory, eastern Victoria.
Most species of Austropyrgus are geographically isolated and have restricted ranges, and this one is no exception.
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.
Ponder, W. F., Colgan, D. J., Clark, G. A., Miller, A. C. & Terzis, T. (1994). Microgeographic, genetic and morphological differentiation of freshwater snails - the Hydrobiidae of Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 42: 557-678.
