Paludina cerulea Massot, 1872

Boeters, Hans D. & Falkner, Gerhard, 2017, The genus Mercuria Boeters, 1971 in France (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae). West-European Hydrobiidae, Part 13, Zoosystema 39 (2), pp. 227-261 : 254

Paludina cerulea Massot, 1872

Paludina cerulea Massot, 1872: 123 [separatum: 91].

ORIGINAL INDICATION OF THE TYPE LOCALITY. — “ […] dans des eaux très limpides qui coulent dans des rigoles, près de l’étang de Salses [étang de Leucate ou de Salses], sur le point où la route nationale passe sous le chemin de fer du Midi.”

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — France. Pyrénées-Orientales, Salses; (i) ditch at path from Route nationale to Fontdame [UTM DH94] ( BOE 0998/ animals and 3201/shells [both Pseudamnicola sp. ]), leg. Boeters 4.IX.1980; (ii) ditch at Font Dame [UTM DH94] ( BOE 0999 [ Pseudamnicola sp. ] and BOE 3208 ex 0999 [ Mercuria similis ]), leg. Boeters 4.IX.1980.

TYPES. — Unknown.

DESCRIPTION (BY MASSOT 1872)

“Sa couleur bleunâtre m’engagea à lui donner le nom de Paludina cerulea , et de distinguer deux variétés [de Amnicola similis Draparnaud ].”

REMARKS

The complete name of the “étang de Salses” is “étang de Leucate ou de Salses”. Further, “le point où la route nationale passe sous le chemin de fer du Midi” refers precisely to the Fontdame and not to the about 2 km distant Font Estramar. Massot describes his Paludina cerulea under “ Amnicola similis Draparnaud ” and as one of “deux variétés”, but he does not give any description of Amnicola similis in his understanding. However, it should not be overlooked that Draparnaud described his Cylostoma simile (1805: 34) as “verdâtre”. In a ditch “où la route nationale passe sous le chemin de fer du Midi” Pseudamnicola sp. , and down-ditch at Fontdame in addition to Pseudamnicola sp. also M. similis could be collected. For Pseudamnicola sp. , the black mantle and buccal mass of the animals can be seen through the slightly horn-like coloured transparent shell wall; compare the colour photographs given by Girardi (2004: 85, fig. 1D). However, the milky shell wall of M. similis hides the black mantle and buccal mass of the animals, and if the shells have lost their periostracum and are slightly corroded, they might be seen as coloured “bleunâtre”.