Hydrobia Hartman, 1821

Georgiev, Dilian, 2011, Check list of the Bulgarian minor freshwater snails (Gastropoda: Risooidea) with some ecological and zoogeographical notes, ZooNotes 2011 (24), pp. 1-4 : 3

Hydrobia Hartman, 1821

Hydrobia acuta Draparnaud, 1805 – EU, RS

As a result of the synopsis made we register a total of 49 species of minor freshwater snails, and one species with unclear taxonomical status. The dominate genera were Bythinella and Belgrandiella with 19 (39% from all) and 10 (20% from all) species respectively. All the rest of the genera were only with 1 to 3 known species.

From all species 96% were endemics, with 5 endemic genera ( Pontobelgrandiella , Cavernisa , Insignia , Devetakia , and Balkanica ), one species was with European distribution and one was invasive (2% each).

Most of the species known till now inhabit spring waters (28; 57%), and cave running waters (20; 41%) from which some representatives of the genus Belgrandiella inhabit both habitats. Only two species occur in rivers and streams (4%).

On the basis of the current knowledge of this group of snails we consider that if future studies continued in detail the list of species could double or triple as many of the caves and springs are still not investigated in large territories as Stara Planina, Kraishte, Vitosha, Rila, and Pirin mountains.