This is the 'large aquatic' species of the southern springs in the Lake Eyre supergroup. The operculum has 3-4 strong pegs.
Fonscochlea (Fonscochlea) accepta Ponder, Hershler & Jenkins, 1989
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Caenogastropoda
Order Littorinida
Suborder Rissoidina
Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Family Tateidae
Genus Fonscochlea Ponder, Hershler & Jenkins, 1989
Original name: Fonscochlea (Fonscochlea) accepta Ponder, Hershler & Jenkins, 1989. In Ponder, W. F., Hershler, R. & Jenkins, B. (1989). An endemic radiation of hydrobiid snails from artesian springs in northern South Australia: their taxonomy, physiology, distribution and anatomy.Malacologia 31: 1-140.
Type locality: Welcome Springs, Lake Eyre Division, South Australia.
This is the large aquatic species of the Southern Springs. It is generally abundant in the pool at the head of the springs. It can sometimes be seen clustering on the sides of the outflows but it is not amphibious and, if emergent, is covered by a film of water. Lives together with Trochidrobia.
The Southern Spring Group in the Lake Eyre Supergroup, South Australia, including Welcome, Davenport, Hermit Hill and Emerald Springs.
This is one of several species of Fonscochlea found in northern South Australia. They are generally similar, being separated on differences in size and shape of the shells and in anatomical details. They have pupiform shells with adults having a thin to slightly thickened aperture and the operculum usually bears one or more pegs. Fonscochlea are among the most geographically isolated tateid snails in Australia.
Ponder, W. F., Hershler, R. & Jenkins, B. (1989). An endemic radiation of Hydrobiidae from artesian springs in northern South Australia: their taxonomy, physiology, distribution and anatomy. Malacologia 31: 1-140.
Ponder, W. F., Eggler, P. E. & Colgan, D. J. (1995). Genetic differentiation of aquatic snails (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from artesian springs in arid Australia. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 56: 553-596.
Ponder, W. F. (2004). Endemic aquatic macroinvertebrates of artesian springs of the Great Artesian Basin—progress and future directions. Records of the South Australian Museum Monograph Series 7: 101-110.
Wilmer, J. W., Hughes, J. M., Ma, J. & Wilcox, C. (2005). Characterization of microsatellite loci in the endemic mound spring snail Fonscochlea accepta and cross species amplification in four other hydrobiid snails. Molecular Ecology Notes 5: 205-207.
Wilmer, J. W. & Wilcox, C. (2007). Fine scale patterns of migration and gene flow in the endangered mound spring snail, Fonscochlea accepta (Mollusca: Hydrobiidae) in arid Australia. Conservation Genetics 8: 617-628.
Wilmer, J. W., Murray, L., Elkin, C., Wilcox, C., Niejalke, D. & Possingham, H. (2011). Catastrophic floods may pave the way for increased genetic diversity in endemic artesian spring snail populations. PLoS One 6: e28645.
Worthington Wilmer, J., Elkin, C., Wilcox, C., Murray, L., Niejalke, D. & Possingham, H. (2008). The influence of multiple dispersal mechanisms and landscape structure on population clustering and connectivity in fragmented artesian spring snail populations. Molecular Ecology 17: 3733-3751.
