Family VIVIPARIDAE

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Introduction

Viviparids are freshwater operculate caenogastropod snails that are placed in their own superfamily (Viviparoidea). They have a wide distribution (Europe, North America, Asia, Africa) and are somewhat curiously absent from major areas — e.g. Central and South America, Madagascar and New Zealand. The family name derives from fact that the females brood their young in a brood pouch formed from the pallial oviduct.

Australian species are found in the large drainage basins of the central region and the north and northeast. Two taxa in the Murray-Darling Basin are virtually extinct, living only in a few irrigation pipes (Sheldon & Walker 1993) and are listed as endangered. A small population of one introduced Asian species has been reported in lakes in parts of Sydney (Shea 1994).

The family is characterised by the medium- to large-sized shells, which possess a rounded last whorl, a low to moderately high, pointed spire, a wide, round aperture, a tight fitting, concentric, horny operculum. The penis is formed from the modified right cephalic tentacle. The group is currently under revision by W.F. Ponder and P. Middelfart, the listing below reflecting decisions that will be justified in that work. The Australian species are all included in the subfamily Bellamyinae.

General References

Benthem Jutting, W.S.S. van 1956. Systematic studies on the non-marine Mollusca of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. V. Critical revision of the Javanese freshwater gastropods. Treubia 23: 259-477

Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia 47: 1–397 [248]

Cotton, B.C. 1935. Recent Australian Viviparidae and a fossil species. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 5: 339-344 [30 Sept. 1935]

Prashad, B. 1928. Recent and fossil Viviparidae. A study in distribution, evolution and palaeogeography. Memoirs of the Indian Museum 8: 153-251

Rao, H.S. 1925. On the comparative anatomy of oriental Viviparidae. Records of the Indian Museum 27: 129-135

Shea, M. 1994. The Chinese viviparid snail Bellamya heudei guangdungensis (Kobelt, 1906) in Australia (Prosobranchia: Viviparidae). Molluscan Research 15: 3-11

Sheldon, F. & Walker, K.F. 1993. Pipelines as a refuge for freshwater snails. Regulated Rivers Research Management 8: 295-300

Sheldon, F. & Walker, K.F. 1993. Shell variation in Australian species of Notopala (Gastropoda: Viviparidae). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 14: 59-71

Stanisic, J. 1998. Family Viviparidae. pp. 706-707 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part B) pp. vi–viii, 565–1234.

Stoddart, J.A. 1982. Western Australian viviparids (Prosobranchia : Mollusca). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 5: 167-173

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