This species belongs to the Austropyrgus petterdianus group, whose members are characterised by the following shell features: aperture slightly disjunct, with last whorl and base evenly convex; outer lip without reflection; shell colour yellow-brown and translucent.
A. julieae differs from other members of the group in the following combination of characters: shell narrow, with very elongated spire and straight to weakly convex spire outline and flattened to slightly convex whorls. Pallial vas deferens straight at prostate gland; only medial section of penis pigmented; coiled oviduct with initial bends orientated dorsoventrally.
This species can be found in sympatry with three other species of Austropyrgus (A. lochi, A. conicus and A. procerus) throughout its currently recognised range, and can be distinguished by its narrow, elongate spire and rounded whorls.
Austropyrgus juliae Clark, Miller & Ponder, 2003
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Caenogastropoda
Order Littorinida
Suborder Rissoidina
Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Family Tateidae
Genus Austropyrgus Cotton, 1942
Original name: Austropyrgus juliae 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: Tributary of West Gawler River, 3 km east of Preston, Tasmania.
In streams 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 known from a number of small streams of central northern Tasmania.
Although most species of Austropyrgus are geographically isolated and have restricted ranges, a few such as A. juliae have wider ranges.
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.
