This is the 'small aquatic' species of the middle and northern springs in the Lake Eyre supergroup. The shell is much smaller than F. accepta and F. aquatica. The operculum has rather weak to moderately strong pegs, or they are sometimes absent.
Fonscochlea (Fonscochlea) expandolabra Ponder, Eggler & Colgan, 1995
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Caenogastropoda
Order Littorinida
Suborder Rissoidina
Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Family Tateidae
Genus Fonscochlea Ponder, Hershler and Jenkins, 1989
Original name: Fonscochlea (Fonscochlea) expandolabra Ponder, Eggler & Colgan 1995. In Ponder, W. F., Eggler, P. & Colgan, D. J. (1995). Genetic differentiationof aquatic snails (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from artesian springs in arid Australia. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 56: 553–596.
Type locality: Twelve Mile Spring, northern South Australia.
This species was originally referred to as Fonscochlea variabilis forms B and C by Ponder et al. (1989).
This form is the small aquatic species living in the Freeling Springs and the Northern Springs. It is generally abundant in the upper outflow of the spring attached to hard objects such as pieces of wood, stones or bone. It is not amphibious. Lives together with Trochidrobia.
Northern (Twelve Mile Spring; Hawker Springs; Fountain Spring; Big Perry Springs; Outside Springs) and Freeling Springs, Lake Eyre Supergroup, northern South Australia.
This is one of several species of Fonscochlea found in northern South Australia. They are all very similar being separated on small differences in size and shape.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.
