Bythinella bicarinata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bythinella bicarinata |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Bithynia moulinsii Dupuy, 1849 |
The Bythinella bicarinata is a type of very tiny freshwater snail. It is an aquatic gastropod mollusk that belongs to the family Amnicolidae.
Contents
About the Bythinella bicarinata Snail
What Does It Look Like?
The shell of this snail is very small, usually about 2.2 to 2.6 millimeters long. That's less than a tenth of an inch! Its shape is described as "pupoidal," which means it looks a bit like a tiny seed or a fly's cocoon.
The snails that were first discovered had a special feature: two raised lines, or "ribs," running along the length of their shell. This is why its scientific name is bicarinata, meaning "two-keeled" or "two-ribbed."
Where Does It Live?
For a long time, people thought this snail only lived in France. It was believed to be endemic, meaning it was found nowhere else in the world. Its main home was thought to be the Fontaine de la Vierge and other nearby springs in the Dordogne region of France.
In 1996, scientists were very worried about this snail. They classified it as Critically Endangered. This meant it was at very high risk of becoming extinct. The snail's habitat was being harmed by pollution. Because of this, the number of snails had dropped by more than 80% in the late 1900s.
Its Conservation Status
Later, scientists did more research using DNA from the snails. They found out something surprising! The "typical" two-ribbed Bythinella bicarinata snails are actually part of a larger group. This group is found across central and northeastern France and nearby areas.
Because of this new information, several other snail types, like Bythinella dunkeri and Bythinella moulinsii, are now considered to be the same species as Bythinella bicarinata. These other snails usually don't have the two ribs on their shells.
This discovery means that Bythinella bicarinata (in its broader sense) is not as rare as once thought. It is now classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN. This means it is not globally threatened with extinction.
However, some specific groups of these snails might still need protection. For example, populations in Belgium and western Germany were once classified as Vulnerable. This was because they lived in fewer than ten freshwater springs that were affected by pollution. These groups are found at the edge of the species' range and look a bit different. So, they might still be considered special types or subspecies that need careful watching.
