Trochidrobia punicea Ponder, Hershler & Jenkins, 1989

Diagnostic features

Shell with short spire and open umbilicus; reaches 2.2 mm in maximum diameter.  This species and Trochidrobia smithi are virtually identical in shell characters but differ anatomically. They are sympatric in only a few springs.

Classification

Trochidrobia punicea Ponder, Hershler & Jenkins, 1989

Class Gastropoda

Infraclass Caenogastropoda

Order Littorinida

Suborder Rissoidina

Superfamily Truncatelloidea

Family Tateidae

Genus Trochidrobia Ponder, Hershler and Jenkins 1989

Original name: Trochidrobia punicea 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: Blanche Cup Spring, South Australia.

Biology and ecology

Shallow water in lower parts of artesian spring outflow living together with species of Fonscochlea.

Distribution

The Southern and Middle Artesian Spring systems, Lake Eyre Supergroup, northern South Australia.

Further reading

Murphy, N. P., Breed, M. F., Guzik, M. T., Cooper, S. J., & Austin, A. D. (2012). Trapped in desert springs: phylogeography of Australian desert spring snails. Journal of Biogeography 39(9): 1573-1582.

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.