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List of non-marine molluscs of Australia facts for kids

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LocationAustralia
Location of Australia

Australia is home to many amazing creatures, including a huge variety of non-marine molluscs. These are soft-bodied animals like snails, slugs, and clams that live on land or in freshwater, not in the ocean. They are a special part of Australia's animal life, and many of them are found nowhere else on Earth! This article will introduce you to some of these unique Australian molluscs.

Freshwater Snails and Slugs

Freshwater molluscs in Australia come in all shapes and sizes. They have fascinating life stories and have evolved in unique ways over time. More than 99% of the native species you find here are endemic, meaning they live only in Australia. Scientists have already described over 400 native species, and there are still about 100 more waiting to be officially named! You can learn more about them using a special online tool called Australian Freshwater Molluscs, Revision 1A.

Types of Freshwater Snails

Many different families of snails live in Australia's rivers, lakes, and streams. Here are a few examples of the kinds of snails you might find:

Apple Snails (Ampullariidae)

  • Pomacea diffusa

Assimineidae Snails

These are often small snails.

  • Austroassiminea letha
  • Aviassiminea palitans
  • Suterilla fluviatilis (This one is only found on Norfolk Island!)
  • Taiwanassiminea bedaliensis
  • Taiwanassiminea affinis

Bithyniidae Snails

The Gabbia genus is a large group of small freshwater snails. Many species in this group were identified by a scientist named Ponder in 2003.

  • Gabbia adusta
  • Gabbia affinis
  • Gabbia beecheyi
  • Gabbia campicola
  • Gabbia carinata
  • Gabbia clathrata
  • Gabbia davisi
  • Gabbia fontana
  • Gabbia iredalei
  • Gabbia kendricki
  • Gabbia kessneri
  • Gabbia lutaria
  • Gabbia microcosta
  • Gabbia napierensis
  • Gabbia obesa
  • Gabbia pallidula
  • Gabbia rotunda
  • Gabbia smithii
  • Gabbia spiralis
  • Gabbia tumida
  • Gabbia vertiginosa

Other Freshwater Snail Families

  • Clenchiellidae: Includes species like Coleglabra nordaustralis and Colenuda kessneri.
  • Cochliopidae: An example is Pyrgophorus platyrachis.
  • Glacidorbidae: Such as Benthodorbis fultoni and Benthodorbis pawpela.
  • Neritiliidae: Like Neritilia vulgaris.
  • Pachychilidae: Includes Pseudopotamis semoni and Pseudopotamis supralirata.
  • Tateidae: This is a very diverse family with many unique Australian snails.
    • Austropyrgus: Many species in this genus are found in various parts of Australia, like Austropyrgus niger.
    • Beddomeia: These snails are found in Tasmania, for example, Beddomeia hullii.
    • Caldicochlea: Two species from this group live only in the Dalhousie Springs.
    • Trochidrobia: These small snails are found in artesian springs in South Australia, near Marree and Oodnadatta. They have smooth, thin shells.
  • Thiaridae: This family includes snails like Melanoides tuberculata and Thiara australis.
  • Viviparidae: Some of these snails, like Cipangopaludina japonica, have been found in places like the Austral Watergardens in Cowan, New South Wales, Sydney.

Land Snails and Slugs

White snail Diwan Queensland
Noctepuna cerea from North-East Queensland

Australia's land snails and slugs are incredibly diverse, living in all sorts of habitats from rainforests to dry areas. They play an important role in their ecosystems, often helping to break down plant matter.

Pupillidae Snails

These are usually very small land snails.

  • Gyliotrachela catherina
  • Pupilla ficulnea

Bothriembryontidae Snails

This family includes many species of land snails, often with interesting shell patterns.

  • Bothriembryon balteolus
  • Bothriembryon barretti
  • Bothriembryon costulatus
  • Bothriembryon cummingsi
  • Bothriembryon fragilis
  • Bothriembryon grohi
  • Bothriembryon kingii
  • Bothriembryon mastersi
  • Bothriembryon maxwelli
  • Bothriembryon nanambinia
  • Bothriembryon onslowi
  • Bothriembryon revectus
  • Bothriembryon reseotinctus
  • Bothriembryon schneideri
  • Bothriembryon toolinna
  • Bothriembryon wagoeensis
  • Bothriembryon whitleyi (This one might be extinct.)

Charopidae Snails

The Charopidae family is another large group of land snails found in Australia. Many new species in this family have been discovered and named recently.

  • Arcadiaropa sunnyholt
  • Bindiropa irwinae
  • Carnaropa racecourse
  • Discocharopa aperta
  • Eddiea brigge
  • Gyrocochlea occidentalis
  • Platyumbiropa grafton
  • Rhophodon moffatt
  • Spiraliropa carnarvon
  • Stanisicaropa covidurnus
  • Tristanoropa crowman

Camaenidae Snails

This is one of the largest families of land snails in Australia, with many species found in different regions, especially in northern Australia.

  • Amphidromus cognatus
  • Amplirhagada epiphallica
  • Australocosmica augustae
  • Austrochloritis copelandensis
  • Baudinella boongareensis
  • Cardiotrachia bastionensis
  • Carinotrachia admirale
  • Denhamiana laetifica
  • Globorhagada confusa
  • Kimberleydiscus (This genus has only one known species, Kimberleydiscus fasciatus)
  • Kimberleymelon (This genus also has only one known species, Kimberleymelon tealei)
  • Kimberleytrachia achernaria
  • Kimboraga cascadensis
  • Molema stankowskii
  • Nanotrachia carinata
  • Noctepuna cerea
  • Nodulabium solidum
  • Ototrachia compressa
  • Pallidelix simonhudsoni
  • Pseudomesodontrachia gregoriana
  • Rachita carltonensis
  • Retroterra acutocostata
  • Rhagada angulata
  • Setobaudinia capillacea
  • Setocallosa pathutchingsae
  • Torresitrachia allouarni

Freshwater Clams and Mussels

Velesunio ambiguous
Velesunio ambiguos

Just like freshwater snails, Australia's freshwater clams and mussels are incredibly diverse and unique. Over 99% of these native species are found only in Australia. Currently, scientists have described 46 species of freshwater bivalves, with more still being discovered and named.

Velesunio wilsoni
Velesunio wilsonii from the Ross River, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Types of Freshwater Bivalves

Here are some of the families and examples of freshwater clams and mussels found in Australia:

Corbulidae

  • Lentidium dalyfluvialis

Cyrenidae

This family includes species like the Asian clam, which can sometimes be an introduced species.

Hyriidae

This is a very important family of freshwater mussels in Australia.

  • Alathyria condola
  • Cucumerunio novaehollandiae
  • Hyridella aquilonalis
  • Lortiella froggatti
  • Westralunio carteri
  • Velesunio ambiguus
  • Velesunio wilsonii

Lasaeidae

  • Arthritica sp. (a new species that hasn't been fully described yet!)

Mytilidae (Brackish Water)

These mussels can live in water that is a mix of fresh and salt water.

Sphaeriidae

These are often called "pea clams" or "fingernail clams" because of their small size.

  • Pisidium aslini
  • Musculium kendricki
  • Musculium cf. lacustre
  • Musculium problematicum
  • Pisidium carum
  • Pisidium centrale
  • Pisidium etheridgei

Trapezidae

  • Fluviolanatus subtortus

See also

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List of non-marine molluscs of Australia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.