Madagasikara spinosa explained

Madagasikara spinosa is a species of tropical freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Pachychilidae.[1]

Madagasikara spinosa is the type species of the genus Madagasikara.[1]

Distribution

This species is endemic to Madagascar.[1] It was recorded in East Madagascar and in surrounding islands such as Île Sainte-Marie.[1]

The type locality is "Dans le rivières de l’ile de Madagascar", in rivers of Madagascar.[1]

Description

The shell is elongate and large and it has 5.0-11.0 whorls.[1] The color of the shell is from brown to black.[1] The apex is truncated.[1] There are axial ribs especially on upper whorls.[1] The aperture is widely oval with palatal and basal sinus.[1]

The width of the shell is 9.9-28.3 mm.[1] The height of the shell is 25.2-69.5 mm.[1] The width of the aperture is 5.0-18.4 mm.[1] The height of the aperture is 8.0-23.1 mm.[1]

The operculum is oval and black.[1]

The color of the animal is dark grey to black with yellowish dots.[1] Tentacles are quite long.[1] Radula is taeniglossate.[1] Radula is about 16 mm long with about 127 rows of teeth.[1]

Ecology

It lives in fast running streams.[1]

Sexes are separate (gonochorism).[1] Females lays eggs (oviparous).[1]

Notes and References

  1. Köhler, F. & Glaubrecht, M. (2010). "Uncovering an overlooked radiation: molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Madagascar’s endemic river snails (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae: Madagasikara gen. nov.). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99: 867-894.