Ferrissia californica explained

Ferrissia californica is a species of small freshwater limpet, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae.^[1]

Description

This species has a limpet like shell. In captivity the shell is clear but in the wild it is light to dark brown.^[2]

Distribution

This species originates from North America. It is introduced in several countries and islands including:

• Czech Republic^[3]
• Bulgaria^[4]
• Austria
• Spain
• Moldova^[5]
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Great Britain
• Portugal^[6]
• Algeria^[7]
• Japan
• Australia
• and others

Habitat

Ferrissia californica lives in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc. It can be found on rocks, wood debris, aquatic plants, and dead leaves.^[8]

Diet

Ferrissia californica eats mostly diatoms.^[9]

Life cycle

Ferrissia californica is a obligate self-fertilizer. It lays eggs that are 0.6 mm and contain one juvenile. The eggs hatch in about seven days. They mature at between four and five weeks. Adults are about 2 mm.^[10]

Human use

Ferrissia californica is found in the aquarium trade and is considered an aquarium pest.^[11]

Notes and References

1. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Ferrissia californica (Rowell, 1863). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1001489 on 2021-02-09
2. Web site: Just One Species of Ferrissia. fwgna.org.
3. Beran L. & Horsák M. (2007). "Distribution of the alien freshwater snail Ferrissia fragilis (Tryon, 1863) (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in the Czech Republic". Aquatic Invasions 2(1): 45–54.
4. Dilian Georgiev & Zdravko Hubenov (2013). "Freshwater snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Bulgaria: an updated annotated checklist". Folia Malacologica 21(4): 237-263. DOI:10.12657/folmal.021.026
5. Igor A. Balashov, Mikhail O. Son, Viorica Coadã & Francisco Welter-Schultes (2013). "An updated annotated checklist of the molluscs of the Republic of Moldova". Folia Malacologica 21(3): 175-181.
6. Holyoak . D.T. . Holyoak . G.A. . Mendes . R. . A revised check-list of the land and freshwater Mollusca (Gastropoda and Bivalvia) of mainland Portugal . Iberus . 2019 . 37 . 1 . 113–168.
7. Ramdini Ramdane, Dirk Van Damme, Sadouk Ghania & Medjdoub-Bensaad Ferroudja (2020). "Rediscovery of Armiger crista (Linnaeus, 1857) (Gastropoda Planorbidae) in Algeria". Biodiversity Journal 11(4): 821–824.
8. Web site: Species Account : Ferrissia fragilis. fwgna.org.
9. Feeding Ecology and Radular Morphology of the Freshwater Limpet Ferrissia fragilis. 1467327. Blinn. W.. Truitt. Robt. E.. Pickart. Anne. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 1989. 8. 3. 237–242. 10.2307/1467327.
10. Web site: Genetics, Shell Morphology, and Life History of the Freshwater Pulmonate Limpets Ferrissia rivularis and Ferrissia fragilis. researchgate.net.
11. Web site: Algae and Other Pests. fishwise. 2020-08-20. 2021-01-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20210117093154/https://www.fishwise.co.nz/view-article/13-algae-and-other-pests. dead.