Physa acuta (Draparnaud, 1805)

Anistratenko, V. V., Furyk, Yu. I., Anistratenko, O. Yu. & Degtyarenko, E. V., 2019, A Review Of Species Diversity, Distribution And Ecology Of Freshwater Gastropod Molluscs Inhabiting The Ukrainian Transcarpathian, Vestnik Zoologii 53 (5), pp. 349-374 : 367-368

Physa acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) ( fig. 4, 3–5 )

Distribution. This species was described from France and occurs in many European countries. However, some data evidence Ph. acuta is a species of Nearctic origin that apparently invaded other continents in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. Therefore it is considered as one of the most successful invaders among freshwater snails (for more details see Vinarski, Kantor, 2016; Vinarski, 2017). In Ukraine the species is widespread through almost the entire country being registered sometimes as Costatella integra (Haldeman, 1841) ( Stadnichenko, 1990) , Ph. taslei Bourguignat, 1860 (Anistratenko, Chernogorenko, 1989) or Physa skinneri Taylor, 1954 ( Degtyarenko, Anistratenko, 2011). In the Transcarpathian Region Ph. acuta has been recorded several times ( Stadnichenko, 1990; Anistratenko et al., 2018). Currently we found populations of this snail in few additional localities: 6, 9, 15, 18, 25 and 42 ( fig. 1 , table 1 ). It could not be excluded that findings of “ Physa fontinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) ” reported by Zdun (1960) from the Transcarpathia in reality are belonging to Ph. acuta .

Remarks. The shell shape of Ph. acuta from Transcarpathia is highly variable, ranging from broadly to elongately conical ( fig. 4, 3–5 ). However, at least some specimens (e. g. fig. 4 , 3 ) match well the holotype of this species illustrated by Vinarski (2017). Some European authors use the genus name Physa for this species ( Falkner et al., 2001; Glöer, 2002) while Physella is also in use (e. g. Vinarski, 2017). In the Transcarpathia this species inhabits shallow zone of both current and stagnant waterbodies. Snails usually occur in macrophytes associations at depths of 0.05–0.5 m, preferring warm area of the reservoir within the altitude range between 100 and 240 m a. s. l. ( table 1 , 2).

Figures

Fig. 4.Shells of Transcarpathian gastropod molluscs: 1 — Radix peregra (locality 55); 2 — R. lagotis (locality 48); 3–5 — Physa acuta (3, 4—from locality 6; 5 — locality 15); 6–8 — Anisus septemgyratus (locality 58); 9–11 — Anisus spirorbis (locality 16); 12–14 — Gyraulus albus (locality 16); 15–17 — Segmentina nitida (locality 14); 18–20 — S. montgazoniana (locality 7); 21–23 — Ancylus fluviatilis (locality 58).

Fig. 3. Shells of Transcarpathian gastropod molluscs: 1 — Viviparus viviparus (locality 12); 2 — Contectiana contecta (locality 15); 3 — Viviparus sphaeridius (locality 12); 4 — Bithynia tentaculata (locality 15); 5 — Valvata (Cincinna) ambigua (locality 15); 6 — Bithynia troschelii (locality 13); 7 — Valvata (Cincinna) piscinalis (locality 22); 8 — Lithoglyphus naticoides (locality 9); 9–11 — Planorbis planorbis (locality 15); 12, 13 — Planorbarius corneus (locality 15). Scale bars are given for 1–3, 4–8, and 9–13 correspondingly.

Fig. 5. Altitude distribution of freshwater gastropod species found in the Transcarpathia. Height above the sea level (in m) is shown in vertical line.

Fig. 1. Map showing the localities of samples studied. Details for each sampling point are given in table 1.