This European species is somewhat difficult to identify due to similarity to other species that have a tall spire and non-inflated aperture, such as some forms of Austropeplea huonensis and Orientogalba viridis. Depending on which species concept is used for this species, it can be umbilicate, and some forms have a rather globose shell. It generally has the inner lip somewhat reflected over the columellar area, sometimes more so than in the figured specimen.
Radix peregra (Müller, 1774)
Common name: Wandering pond snail
Class Gastropoda
Infraclass Heterobranchia
Megaorder Hygrophila
Order Lymnaeida
Superfamily Lymnoidea
Family Lymnaeidae
Original name: Buccinum peregra Müller, 1774. In Müller, O.F. (1774). Vermium Terrestrium et Fluviatilium, seu Animalium Infusorium, Helminthicorum, et Testaceorum, non marinorum, Succincta Historia. Havniae &. Lipsiae : Heineck & Faber Vol. 2 xxvi 214 pp. [130].
Type locality: Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
Synonym: Many, including Limnaea hobartonensis Tenison Woods, 1876.
The relationships and taxonomy of this species are not fully resolved. It is sometimes considered to be a synonym of Radix balthica (Linnaeus, 1758).
Amongst water weeds etc., in ponds. Has not been seen in the wild in Australia since the 19th century. Feeds on algae and detritus. Egg mass a crescent-shaped jelly strip containing many small eggs. Development direct.
Tasmania (Hobart). Introduced from Europe in the 1800's but no longer present (Kershaw 1991).
This species is known to host a number of significant parasites in Europe.
Aksenova, O. V., Bolotov, I. N., Gofarov, M. Y., Kondakov, A. V., Vinarski, M. V., Bespalaya, Y. V., Kolosova, Y. S., Palatov, D. M., Sokolova, S. E. & Spitsyn, V. M. (2018). Species richness, molecular taxonomy and biogeography of the radicine pond snails (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) in the Old World. Scientific Reports 8: 1-17.
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Kershaw, R. C. (1991). Snails and slugs introduced to or pests in Tasmania. Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston.
Lam, P. K. S., & Calow, P. (1988). Differences in the shell shape of Lymnaea peregra (Müller)(Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from lotic and lentic habitats; environmental or genetic variance?.Journal of Molluscan Studies 54: 197-207.
Ng, T.H., Tan, S.K., Wong, W.H., Meier, R., Chan, S-Y., Tan, H.H. and Yeo, D.C.J. 2016. Molluscs for Sale: Assessment of Freshwater Gastropods and Bivalves in the Ornamental Pet Trade. PLOS One. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0161130.
Pfenninger, M, Cordellier, M. & Streit, B. (2006). Comparing the efficacy of morphologic and DNA-based taxonomy in the freshwater gastropod genus Radix (Basommatophora, Pulmonata).BMC Evolutionary Biology 6: 100 (1-14).
Remigio, E. (2002). Molecular phylogenetic relationships in the aquatic snail genus Lymnaea, the intermediate host of the causative agent of fascioliasis: insights from broader taxon sampling.Parasitology Research 88: 687-696.
