Mercuria gauthieri Glöer, Bouzid & Boeters, 2010

Mabrouki, Youness, Taybi, Abdelkhaleq Fouzi & Glöer, Peter, 2020, New additions to the freshwater gastropod fauna (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae, Lymnaeidae) of Morocco, Ecologica Montenegrina 31, pp. 40-44 : 42-43

Mercuria gauthieri Glöer, Bouzid & Boeters, 2010 ( fig. 4 )

Distribution: This recently described species was previously known only from Algeria, where it was confined to the westernmost part of the Algerian coast ( Glöer 2019; Glöer et al. 2010). We reported for the first time in Morocco, where it is confined to the easternmost of the country. Indeed, the species was found in the catchment area of the Nador lagoon, the massif mountain of Gourougou and the wetland of the Moulouya River mouth at Saidia ( fig. 1 ).

Sampling site: Zebda spring (35°03'55.1" N 2°21'16.2" W) ; affluent of Zebda spring (35°05'28.5" N 2°21'02.7" W) ; Azouagh River at Zegangan (35°8'20.688" N 3°1'24.247" W) ; Selouan River at Sidi Ali (35°4'36.700" N 2°55'29.100" W) ; Selouan River at La'azib (35°3'6.199" N 2°57'46.598" W) ; Moulouya River at Safsaf (34°54'27.530" N 2°38'8.860" W) ; Mariouari River (35°18'21.600" N 2°58'38.900" W) ; Chebbak spring (35°05'18.2" N 2°21'04.0" W) ; Rio de Oro River (35°17.2483' N, 2°56.6283' W) ; Izerouan River (35°9.8333' N, 3°6.6' W) ; Ouzej River at Aroui (35°0.3634' N, 2°59.5133' W) ; Cherarba Ponds at Saidia (35°6.3116' N, 2°20.75' W) .

Habitat: The species can be found in a wide range of habitats and in different physicochemical conditions of the water. It was collected from natural and artificial watercourses of low altitudes, sometimes highly charged with organic matter as Selouan River ( fig. 10 ), high altitude springs and finally from slightly brackish ponds alongside of the Mediterranean coast.

Associated species: Physella acuta , Ancylus fluviatilis , Lymnaea truncatula and Planorbarius metidjensis (Forbes, 1838) .

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution range of the found species in Morocco.

Figures. 2-8. 2: Shell of Pseudamnicola luteola, 3: penis in situ of P. luteola, 4: shell of Mercuria gauthieri, 5: penis in situ of M. gauthieri, 6: shell of Ecrobia vitrea, 7: shell of Radix labiata, 8: female and male copulatory organ. Abbreviations: bc: bursa copulatrix, bd: bursa duct, e: eye, m: muscle, p: penis, pht: phallotheca, pl: penial lap, prp: preputium, vd: vas deferens, t: tentacle, v: vagina.

Figures. 9-12. 9: Habitat of Pseudamnicola luteola at Jbel Sidi Moussa, 10: habitat of Mercuria gauthieri at La’azib, 11: habitat of Ecrobia vitrea at Saidia wetland, 12: Habitat of Radix labiata at Ras El Ma.