Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

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Family PHYSIDAE


Compiler and date details

Brian J. Smith, Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston Shannon Reid and Winston F. Ponder, Australian Museum, Sydney

Introduction

This family of freshwater snails is native to Europe, the Nearctic Region and the Neotropical Region. The single Australian species referred to this family was introduced by European settlers. Many sinistral, freshwater snails of the family Planorbidae described from Australia by early workers were incorrectly placed in the genus Physa because of their shell shape. Differentiation of these superfically similar groups is described by Smith & Plant (1981). The single Australian species is found in flowing to non-flowing water and is widely spread in temperate and sub-tropical Australia.

The family is characterized by the thin, sinistral shell, lack of a pseudobranch and the presence of digital processes on the mantle edge along the columellar margin.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
12-Feb-2010 (import)