This species belongs to the Austropyrgus sparsus group, with members 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 tebus differs from other members of the group in the following combination of characters: shell small to medium, with straight to weakly convex spire outline and convex whorls; pallial vas deferens slightly undulating at prostate gland; proximal part of coiled oviduct with two or more bends, loops or twists; seminal receptacle at middle of inner wall of bursa copulatrix.
Austropyrgus tebus Clark, Miller & Ponder, 2003
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Caenogastropoda
Order Littorinida
Suborder Rissoidina
Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Family Tateidae
Genus Austropyrgus Cotton, 1942
Original name: Austropyrgus tebus 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 Pipers River, on western slopes of Eagle Hawk Tier, Mt Arthur, 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 around the Lilydale area of northern Tasmania.
Although most species of Austropyrgus are geographically isolated and have restricted ranges, a few - such as A. tebus - have wider ranges.
This species is not found in sympatry with any other species of Austropyrgus.
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.
