Ellobium aurismidae(Linnaeus,1758)
Shell very large,thick,chestnut brown,surface shiny with radial riblets and
spiral striation.
Shell up to 85 mm high and 50 mm wide,6 whorls.
In Bali,Indochina to Australia.In estuarine habitats,muddy islands,behind
mangrove swamps at or above water level in leaflitter.
Ellobium tornatelliforme Shell medium,thin,pale yellowish brown,shiny surface,top often eroded. With growth lines,radial riblets and spiral striation.Thin periostracum. Shell size:up to 20 mm high and 9 mm wide,up to 7.5 whorls. In Bali,Sumba,Sumatra and The Philippines.
Auriculastra subula(Quoy & Gaimard,1832) Shell medium,thin to thick,yellowish brown to green,shiny surface with growth lines. Shell up to 15.5 mm high and up to 5.7 mm wide,about 10 whorls. In Bali,India to The Pacific.At coastal areas and along freshwater streams.Under wood or leaf litter.
Cassidula sulculosa Shell medium,whitish with 2-3 brownish to light or dark chocolate brown spiral bands. But also an even brown.Surface a little glossy with growth lines and riblets. The periostome is pale brown or yellowish.The periostracum can have fine hairs. Shell size:9-17 mm high,6-12 mm wide,7-8 whorls. On Bali,Java to the Pacific and The Philippines.The snail lives in calcareous areas, on limestone rocks or mud.In mangrove swamps and along freshwater streams behind the mangrove forest.
Cassidula triparietalis Shell medium,dark chocolate brown with a lighter band below the suture and above the periphery.Surface glossy with few growth lines and riblets. The periostome is pale brownish to white. Shell size:15-21 mm high,9-18 mm wide,7 whorls. On Bali,Sumatra to the Moluccas.This species lives on the roots of mangroves, in leaflitter and mud in coastal and estuarine habitats.
Melampus adamsianus(Pfeiffer,1855) Shell small to medium,light to dark brown often with spiral banding.Also whitish without banding or with 3-4 clearly visible dark brown bands on the final whorl. With fine riblets beginning on the second whorl and ending after 4-5 whorls. Below the suture spiral striation is visible,around the umbilicus there is some spiral striation also. The periostome is whitish or pale brown.The aperture has 2 parietal teeth. Shell size:up to 12 mm high,6 mm wide,up to 10 whorls. On Bali,Indian Ocean and Pacific.In coastal habitats.
Melampus caffer Shell small to medium,often with a yellowish brown spiral band around the periphery. One darker brown band and 1-2 under it,usually with white bands in between.Surface glossy with fine riblets and spiral striation. The periostome is light brown.The aperture has 2 parietal teeth with usually 7 palatal teeth on the transversal callus. Shell size:up to 14 mm high,9 mm wide up to 10 whorls. On Bali,South-East Asia and Pacific.In coastal and estuarine habitats in mangrove swamps.
Melampus castaneus(Muehlfeldt,1818)
Shell medium,light brown or light orange brown with a few riblets and
spiral striation.The peristome is pale brown.The aperture has 2 parietal
teeth,6-7 palatal teeth on the transversal callus.
Shell size: up to 14 mm high,9 mm wide,up to 10 whorls.
In Bali,Southeast Asia and Pacific in coastal and estuarine habitats.
Melampus cumingianus Shell medium size,white,light violet or light yellowish-brown.Surface a little glossy with a very fine spiral striation.The periostome is whitish or yellowish. The aperture has 1-2 parietal teeth,with 3-6 palatal teeth on the transversal callus. Shell size:up to 19mmm high,8 mm high,up to 9 whorls. On Bali,Java and The Philippines.In coastal habitats.
Melampus fasciatus(Deshayes,1830)
The color of the shell is variable:whitish yellow to orange-brown to black,with
brown spiral bands.The height is up to 15 mm and the width is up to 8 mm,10 whorls.
In Africa,India,S.E-Asia,Australia and the Pacific Islands.
picture courtesy of:Bishop museum
Melampus granifera(Mousson,1849) Shell medium size,whitish to reddish brown,usually with darker or lighter spiral bands.Surface a little glossy with radial and spiral grooves.The periostome is whitish or pale brown.The aperture has 2 parietal teeth and 3-13 palatal teeth. Shell size:up to 12 mm high,7 mm wide,up to whorls. On Bali,Indian Ocean and Pacific.In coastal habitats in mangrove swamps.
Melampus luteus(Quoy & Gaimard,1832)
Shell medium,white to lemon yellow,surface glosy with riblets starting at the second
whorl and fading after 3-4 whorls.The periostome is whitish.The aperture has 2
parietal teeth,above this there are 2(or 1 or 3)smaller teeth,7-9 palatal teeth
on the transversal callus.
Shell size:up to 21 mm high,12 mm wide,up to 11 whorls.
On Bali,In the Pacific to Sumatra.In coastal and estuarine habitats on rocks
and trees.
Melampus parvulus(Pfeiffer,1846) Shell small,dark chocolate brown sometimes with a one to three whitish spiral bands. Surface glossy with fine riblets beginning at the first whorl and fading after 3-5 whorls.With spiral striation at the first whorl,also around the umbilicus. The periostome is whitish or light brownish.The aperture has 2 parietal teeth,and 1-2 smaller ones above those,5-7 palatal teeth on the transversal callus. Shell size:up to 7 mm high,4 m wide,up to 7 whorls. On Bali,Indian Ocean and Pacific in mangrove swamps.
Melampus pulchellus Shell small,whitish to yellowish brown,often with dark brown spiral bands or transversal bands.Surface glossy with some spiral striation and growth lines. The periostome is light brownish.The aperture has 2 parietal teeth,often 1 tooth above these,7-13 palatal teeth on the transversal callus. Shell size:up to 9 mm high,4.5 mm wide,up to 10 whorls
Melampus siamensis Shell medium,creamy white to a yellowish brown,with 2-9 vaguely visible darker brown spiral bands.Surface somewhat glossy with fine riblets beginning at the first whorl and fading after 4-5 whorls.The periostome is whitish or light brown. The aperture has 1 parietal tooth,above this one there are 1-5 smaller teeth and 4-7 palatal teeth on the transversal callus. Shell size:up to 14 mm high,8 mm wide,up to 11 whorls. On Bali,Indian Ocean and Pacific in coastal and estuarine habitats.In mangrove forests and mudflats.
Laemodonta monilifera(Adams,1854)
Shell small,yellowish brown with flat and wide ridges.The aperture has 4 teeth,the parietal is split in 2.
Shell size:2.5-4 mm high,1.6-2.5 mm wide,up to 6-7 whorls.
On Bali,Indian Ocean and Pacific in coastal habitats.
Laemodonta siamensis
Shell small,brown,with riblets and wide and flat ridges.
Shel size:up to 9 mm high,up to 5.3 mm wide,6.25-7.25 whorls.
On Bali,Korea,Thailand,Philippines,Malaysia,Singapore,Borneo,Sulawesi and Sumbawa.
In coastal habitats living in mangrove forests.
Laemodonta typica(Adams,1854)
Shell small,yellowish brown with wide and flat ridges.
Shell size:2.7-4 mm high,1.7-2.2 mm wide,5-6 whorls.
On Bali,Indian Ocean and western Pacific in coastal habitats.
Pythia imperforata
Shell large,brown with darker brown spots,surface a little glossy,umbilicus open.
The periostome is whitish to very light brown,sometimes with brown marks.
The aperture has 2-3 parietal teeth.
Shell size:up to 23 mm high,16 mm wide,about 10 whorls.
On Bali,Sumatra east to the Pacific.In coastal and estuarine habitats.
Pythia pantherina
Shell large,whitish to light brown,with many dark brown spots.Also even brown
shells appear.Umbilicus open.The periostome is light brownish with brown markings.
The aperture has 3 parietal teeth.
Shell size:up to 34 mm high,20 mm wide,about 11 whorls.
On Bal,east to New Guinea.In coastal and estuarine habitats on tree trunks and
palm leaves.
Pythia undata
Shell large,light brown,usually with a little darker brown spots.Surface somewhat
glossy.Umbilicus open.The periostome is whitish to a pale brown.The aperture has 2-3
parietal teeth.
Shell size:19-29 mm high,13-18 mm wide,about 9 whorls.
On Bali,Sumatra to New Guinea and Australia.In coatal and estuarine habitats.
Pythia scarabaeus(Linnaeus,1758)
The shell has a height of 30 mm and a width of 17 mm with a variable color:
pale buff to purplish with or without dark spots and flecks.
The snails live in leaf litter in forests close to the sea.In southern Asia,
Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Carychium minimum(Müller,1774)
Shell is colorless,glossy and transparent,1.6-1.9 mm wide x 0.9 mm high.
The animal has only one pair of tentacles.
In Europe and Siberia on damp places like swamps.
Carychium tridentatum(Risso,1826)
Shell is colorless,less transparent and more conical than C.minimum,
1.8-2 mm high x 0.9 mm wide.
The animal has only one pair of tentacles.
In Europe on a wide variety of places,especialy in leaf litter in woods.
Leucophytia bidentata(Montagu,1808)
Shell fusiform with up to 8 whorls,the columella has two folds which
shows in the aperture as teeth,color white or yellowish.Height up to
7 mm x width 3,5 mm.
The animal is white with short tentacles.
The snails feed on detritus in brackish and saltish water,they usually live
under rocks just out of the water.In Europe and imported in North-America
and New-Zealand.
Ovatella denticulata(Montagu,1803)
Shell fusiform with 2-3 teeth on the parietal side and 5-7 teeth on the palatal
side in the mouth.Color cream to light-brown with up to 8 whorls.
Average height 6,1 mm x 3,0 mm wide.
The snails live between rocks and wood above the water.
Ovatella myosotis(Draparnaud,1801)
Shell fusiform with up to 8 whorls,the columella has two folds which are
visible as teeth in the mouth.Lengthwise there are fine grooves.
Color yellowish lightbrown to reddish-brown.Height up to 10 mm x
5 mm wide,usually smaller.
The animal is grey to brownish with a blackish head.
Reproduction starts at the end of May and ends in August-September.The
eggs hatch in 17-18 days,but this can take about a month longer depending
on the percentage of salt in the water.
The animals live amphibious between vegetation on the shore or in saltish,brackish
or sweet water.
In Europe,The Mediterranean and The Black Sea.Imported in North-America.
(Atlantic coast)
left picture courtesy of:Bishop museum