Tag Archives: Thiaridae

Aylacostoma guaraniticum (Hylton Scott)

Guaranita Aylacostoma Snail (Aylacostoma guaraniticum)

This species was described in 1954, it inhabited highly oxygenated freshwater habitats near the Yacyretá-Apipé rapids in the high Paraná river at the border area between Argentinia and Paraguay.

It shared this habitat with two other species from the same genus, the Green Aylacostoma Snail (Aylacostoma chloroticum Hylton Scott) and the Stigmated Aylacostoma Snail (Aylacostoma stigmaticum Hylton Scott), all described by the same author at the same time.

The habitat of these three species was destroyed by the building of dams and by the filling of the Yacyretá reservoir in the early 1990s, leading to the extinction of at least two of the three species, including the Guaranita Aylacostoma Snail. [1]

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References:

[1] Roberto E. Vogler; Ariel A. Beltramino; Juana G. Peso; Alejandra Rumi: Threatened gastropods under the evolutionary genetic species concept: redescription and new species of the genus Aylacostoma (Gastropoda: Thiaridae) from High Paraná River (Argentina–Paraguay). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 172: 501-520. 2014

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edited: 24.11.2018

Melanoides agglutinans (Bequaert & Clench)

Congo Freshwater Snail (Melanoides agglutinans)

This species was described in 1942, it apparently was restricted to the Congo River, where it inhabited crevices among rocks in swiftly flowing water near the town of Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The shells reach sizes of about 1,2 cm in height.

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The species is considered extinct, however, I didn’t find any additional information about thus assumption.

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edited: 29.04.2021

Aylacostoma stigmaticum Hylton Scott

Stigmated Aylacostoma Snail (Aylacostoma stigmaticum)

This species was described in 1954, it was endemic to highly oxygenated freshwater habitats near the Yacyretá-Apipé rapids in the high Paraná river at the border area between Argentinia and Paraguay.

The habitat disappeared when the river system was dammed, leading tot he disappearance of the endemic snail fauna, including the Stigmated Aylacostoma Snail. 

The Stigmated Aylacostoma Snail is officially listed as extinct in the wild, yet there exists no captive population or whatsoever, thus the species is definetly completely extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] Roberto E. Vogler; Ariel A. Beltramino; Juana G. Peso; Alejandra Rumi: Threatened gastropods under the evolutionary genetic species concept: redescription and new species of the genus Aylacostoma (Gastropoda: Thiaridae) from High Paraná River (Argentina–Paraguay). Zoological Journal oft he Linnean Society 172: 501-520. 2014

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edited: 24.11.2018