Valvatidae Explained

Valvatidae, the valve snails, is a taxonomic family of very small freshwater snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks.

Taxonomy

The family Valvatidae has no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

Genera

The type genus of this family is Valvata O.F. Müller, 1774.

Genera in the family Valvatidae include:

• Andrussovia Brusina, 1903
• Borysthenia Lindholm, 1933
• Costovalvata Polinski, 1932
• Liratina Lindholm, 1906
• Megalovalvata Lindholm, 1906
• Valvata Müller, 1774
  • Cincinna Hübner, 1810 - It is recognized either as genus^[1] of a subgenus of Valvata.

Ecology

Snails in the family Valvatidae are useful for measuring water quality as biological indicators. According to the Biological monitoring working party they have a score of 3, which means that they have quite a high tolerance to pollutants.

References

Haszprunar G (2014) A nomenclator of extant and fossil taxa of the Valvatidae (Gastropoda, Ectobranchia). ZooKeys 377: 1–172. https://www.pensoft.net/J_FILES/1/articles/6032/6032-G-3-layout.pdf

Further reading

• Hannibal H. (1910). Valvatidae of the Western North America. The Nautilus, page 104-107.

Notes and References

1. Anistratenko O., Degtyarenko E., Anistratenko V. (2010). "Сравнительная морфология раковины и радулы брюхоногих моллюсков семейства Valvatidae из Северного Причерноморья. [Shell and radula comparative morphology of the Gastropod Molluscs family Valvatidae from the North Black Sea coast]". Ruthenica 20(2): 91-101. PDF