Camptoceras terebra
| Camptoceras terebra | |
|---|---|
| Shell of Camptoceras terebra (syntype at the Natural History Museum, London) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Superorder: | Hygrophila |
| Family: | Planorbidae |
| Genus: | Camptoceras |
| Species: | C. terebra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Camptoceras terebra W. H. Benson, 1843[2]
| |
Camptoceras terebra is a species of small freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Planorbidae, commonly known as the ram’s horn snails. It is characterized by its coiled, sinistral (left-handed) shell and its association with slow-moving or stagnant freshwater habitats.
Taxonomy
Camptoceras terebra was described by William Henry Benson in 1843. It is the type species for the genus Camptoceras.[2][3] This species has no taxonomic synonyms.[4] One source classifies the Japanese species Camptoceras hirasei as a subspecies of C. terebra (Camptoceras terebra hirasei).[1] One syntype (specimen used in Benson's original description) is in the collections of the Natural History Museum of London.[5]
Description
The shell of Camptoceras terebra is long and skinny, with a height of about 6 to 7 mm (0.24 to 0.28 in) and a diameter of about 3 mm (0.12 in). At maximum, the shell may reach about 9 mm (0.35 in) in height. The shell opening, called the aperture, is about 4 mm (0.16 in) in the largest dimension.[6] The revolutions of the shell, called whorls, curl to the left in a condition known as sinistry.[2] The whorls are few in number and are not fused.[7] A sculpture (3-dimensional protrusions of the shell) may be present in the form of varices. These varices are projections of the edge of the aperture at different points in the animal's life, and look similar to those found in the unrelated genus Epitonium.[2] The sculpture does not include spiral striae.[8]
This species possesses proportionally large eyes relative to its body, which are located between the tentacles. The foot, a muscular organ used for moving, is relatively short.[6]
Distribution and habitat
Camptoceras terebra may be found in India, though its exact distribution is unclear.[1] Specific occurrences have been recorded from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.[1][9] It is considered rare along all parts of its range, though this may be due to underreporting.[1] In West Bengal, it was found in densities of about 4 individuals per square meter.[9] The areas it inhabits are strongly impacted by pollution, agricultural effluents, among other habitat changes.[1]
Ecology
Little is known of the biology and ecology of Camptoceras terebra.[1] It may be found in deep rivers hiding amongst blades of aquatic vegetation.[1][6] It is slow-moving and sticks well to surfaces.[2][6] Like others in the superorder Hygrophila, it may be a detritivore, feeding on periphyton such as algae and bacteria.[4] It may be found alongside other gastropods, including Polypylis calathus, Melanoides tuberculata, as well as species of Lymnaea, Planorbis, Pila, and Bithynia.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Madhyastha, A. (2010). "Camptoceras terebra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010 e.T166762A6277951. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166762A6277951.en. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Benson, W. H. (1843). "Description of Camptoceras, a new genus of the Lymnaeadae, allied to Ancylus, and of Tricula, a new type of form allied to Melania". Calcutta Journal of Natural History, and Miscellany of the Arts and Sciences in India. 3 (12): 465–466. ISSN 0970-9614. OCLC 7423165 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Annandale, N. (1922). "Materials for a generic revision of the freshwater gastropod molluscs of the Indian empire". Records of the Indian Museum. 24: 363. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b Vinarski, Maxim (2018). "Camptoceras terebra W. H. Benson, 1843". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Camptoceras terebra". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ a b c d e Benson, W. H. (1855). "Amended Characters of the singular Lymneadous Genus Camptoceras, and description of a new Ancylus, inhabitants of North-western India". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 2. 15 (85): 10–12. ISSN 0374-5481. LCCN sn86012506. OCLC 1481361 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Catlow, Agnes (1854). Popular Conchology, on, the shell cabinet arranged according to the modern system; with a detailed account of the animals, a complete descriptive list of the families and genera of recent and fossil shells (2nd ed.). London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 193 – via Google Books.
- ^ Tripathy, Basudev; Mukhopadhayay, Amit (2015). "Freshwater Molluscs of India: An Insight of into Their Diversity, Distribution and Conservation". Aquatic Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation. pp. 163–195. doi:10.1007/978-81-322-2178-4_11. ISBN 978-81-322-2177-7.
- ^ a b Meena, D.K.; Lianthuamluaia, L.; Mishal, P.; Swain, H.S.; Naskar, B.K.; Saha, S.; Sandhya, K.M.; Kumari, S.; Tayung, T.; Sarkar, U.K.; Das, B.K. (May 2019). "Assemblage patterns and community structure of macro-zoobenthos and temporal dynamics of eco-physiological indices of two wetlands, in lower gangetic plains under varying ecological regimes: A tool for wetland management". Ecological Engineering. 130: 1–10. Bibcode:2019EcEng.130....1M. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.02.002.