Biomphalaria alexandrina explained

Biomphalaria alexandrina is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails and their allies.

Distribution

This species occur in Egypt

Habitat

Biomphalaria alexandrina lives in freshwater, for example in irrigation canals.

Feeding habits

In captivity, Biomphalaria alexandrina can be fed on boiled leaves of lettuce.^[1]

Parasites

Biomphalaria alexandrina serves as an intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni

Hybrid

There is a known hybrid Biomphalaria glabrata × Biomphalaria alexandrina, from Egypt.^[2]

Phylogeny

A cladogram showing phylogenic relations of species in the genus Biomphalaria:^[3]

Further reading

• Kamel . E. G. . 1984 . The egg mass and growth rate of Biomphalaria alexandrina under laboratory conditions . . 14 . 2. 377–384 . 6512287 .

Notes and References

1. Bakry . F. A. . 2009 . Genetic Variation Between Biomphalaria Alexandrina and Biomphalaria Glabrata Snails and Their Infection with Egyptian Strain of Schistosoma Mansoni . . 5 . 9. 1142–1148 .
2. Yousif . F. . Ibrahim . A. . Abdel Kader . A. . El-Bardicy . S. . Invasion of the Nile Valley in Egypt by a hybrid of Biomphalaria glabrata and Biomphalaria alexandrina, snail vectors of Schistosoma mansoni . Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology . 28 . 2 . 569–582 . 1998 . 9707685.
3. 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003769 . Dejong . R. J. . Morgan . J. A. . Paraense . W. L. . Pointier . J. P. . Amarista . M. . Ayeh-Kumi . P. F. . Babiker . A. . Barbosa . C. S. . Brémond . P. . Pedro Canese . A. . De Souza . C. P. . Dominguez . C. . File . S. . Gutierrez . A. . Incani . R. N. . Kawano . T. . Kazibwe . F. . Kpikpi . J. . Lwambo . N. J. . Mimpfoundi . R. . Njiokou . F. . Noël Poda . J. . Sene . M. . Velásquez . L. E. . Yong . M. . Adema . C. M. . Hofkin . B. V. . Mkoji . G. M. . Loker . E. S. . Evolutionary relationships and biogeography of Biomphalaria (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) with implications regarding its role as host of the human bloodfluke, Schistosoma mansoni . Molecular Biology and Evolution . 18 . 12 . 2225–2239 . 2001 . 11719572. free .