List of non-marine molluscs of Australia Facts for Kids

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

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 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 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.

Batissa australis
Corbicula australis
Corbicula fluminea

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.

Limnoperna fortunei
Xenostrobus securis

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

List of non-marine molluscs of Australia facts for kids

Contents