Snail (Austropeplea)

Taxonomic group

Lymnaeidae: Austropeplea

Diagnostic features

Austropeplea is a genus of native lymnaeid snails. The lymnaeids lack an operculum (protective shield) that covers the aperture (shell opening) when the animal withdraws. The aperture is on the right when facing toward you and when the spire points upwards. Austropeplea are relatively small, with rounded shells and a short spire compared with most of the introduced lymnaeid snails.

[Austropeplea]. Image: Stephen Moore Image — Austropeplea. Image: Stephen Moore

[Austropeplea]. Aperture is on the right when facing toward you and when the spire points upwards. Image: Stephen Moore Image — Austropeplea. Aperture is on the right when facing toward you and when the spire points upwards. Image: Stephen Moore

Typical habitats

Austropeplea have a patchy distribution but they are locally common in some gravelly streams and rivers in farmed catchments.

Feeding

Like most snails they are grazers, scraping biofilms from submerged surfaces.

Indicator value

Hard bottom: unassigned; general lymnaeid value 3
Soft bottom: unassigned; general lymnaeid value 1.2

The tolerance values (ranging from 0 to 10) give an indication of which are the sensitive taxa (values of 8 or more) and which are the tolerant taxa (values of 3 or less). For more information see: Indicator species

Records of Austropeplea are probably of more conservation interest than water quality interest. This genus has not been assigned tolerance values but the Lymnaeidae have low tolerance values of 3 (hard bottom sites) and 1.2 (soft bottom sites).