Hydrobia ventrosa(Montagu,1803) Shell cone-shaped with 5-7 whorls,glossy,dark brown-greenish. Height 6,2 mm x width 3,0 mm. The animal is yellowish with black spots,the sole is white.The side of the head is blackish,the tentacles colorless. The snails feed on algae and bacteria in pools,muddy canals in brackish water. Along the Atlantic coast of Europe and North-America.
Hydrobia ulvae(Pennant,1777)
Shell cone-shaped with 6-7 whorls,light-brownish to yellowish,periostracum brown.
Height 6,1 mm x width 3,0 mm.
The animal has a white sole with black spots,the head has a black line
across.The tentacles have black spots.
The most eggs are usually laid in May-June and August-September.
The snails live for about 1-2 years,less than 1 % of the young snails live
longer than a year.They feed on algae,bacteria and plants.
Along the Atlantic coast of Europe,The Mediterranean,The African Coast and
The Baltic Sea.
Mercuria confusa(Frauenfeld,1863) Shell cone-shaped with up to 4,5 whorls and a deep suture. The color is yellowish-brown,height up to 5,0 mm x width 3,0 mm. The animals live in sweet to brackish water between rich vegetation on muddy soil.In Western Europe and The Mediterranean.
Marstoniopsis scholtzi(Schmidt,1856) Shell cone-shaped with a blunt top,4 convex whorls.Color brown to greenish. Height 2,9 mm x width 1,7 mm. The animal is greyish,the head is blackish.Above both eyes is a yellow spot. The eggs are laid between May and July and hatch within 6 weeks. In pools,rivers and canals in Europe.
Potamapyrgus antipodarum(Gray,1843) Shell cone-shaped with up to 6 whorls,dark-brown,height 5,8 mm x width 3,0 mm. The head of the animal is black on top,the foot is white. The snails are ovo-viviparious and parthenogenetical,meaning they reproduce with non-fertilized eggcells.Males are rare.Each individual can produce about 80-200 young in a year.The animals usually don't get older than 7 months. The snails live in sweet or brackish water where they feed on plant material,algae and carrion.In Europe.
Potamopyrgus jenkensi(Smith,1889)
Shell reddish brown but often blackened by mud deposits,5 mm high and 2-3 mm
wide.
image:Martin Kohl
Amnicola limosa(Say)
A small species,shell height is 4,5 mm and width 3 mm,color bronze green.
It has a thin lip,a flat apex and a narrow and deep umbilicus.
This snail lives in sand or mud and on waterplants.
In North-America,Labrador to Florida and west to Utah.
image:© Ed Hendrycks © Musée canadien de la nature
Pseudamnicola confusa(Frauenfeld,1863) Shell small,semi-transparent,glossy with a blunt tip,pale horn color. Five to six whorls ,4 mm in height and 2 mm in width. The animal has a dark snout with a pale tip and an orange-yellow spot behind each eye. Gillia altilis(Lea) The shell is light brown,globose,8 mm in height and 6 mm in width. In North-America,New-York to South-Carolina. To freshwatersnails Home