Gyraulus parvus is a species of freshwater snail in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails. It is known by the common name ash gyro.[1][4][5] It is native to much of North America and the Caribbean, where it occurs in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. It is also an introduced species in Eurasia, including Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Israel.[1]

Gyraulus parvus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superorder: Hygrophila
Family: Planorbidae
Genus: Gyraulus
Species:
G. parvus
Binomial name
Gyraulus parvus
(Say, 1817)[2]
Synonyms

Planorbis parvus[3]
Planorbis similaris
Planorbis vermicularis

This common snail occurs in many types of freshwater habitat, such as ponds and lakes.[1] It consumes diatoms and other periphyton that it scrapes off of surfaces. It sometimes rests attached to water plants.[4]

This snail has a thin, transparent, whitish-gray shell measuring 2.5 to 5 millimeters wide. It has 4 to 5 whorls. The upper side is concave and the lower side is flat.[6]

This snail is an intermediate host for schistosomes that cause swimmer's itch.[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Cordeiro, J.; Perez, K. (2012). "Gyraulus parvus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T155684A734471. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T155684A734471.en. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  2. ^ Say T. (1817). Conchology. pp. A-3 – C-6 [= 1–20], pl. [1–4], in: Nicholson W.: American edition of the British Encyclopedia, or, dictionary of arts and sciences comprising an accurate and popular view of the present improved state of human knowledge. First Edition. IV. pp. (?). Philadelphia. (Mitchell & Ames).
  3. ^ Gould, A. A. (1870). Report on the Invertebrata of Massachusetts. page 497.
  4. ^ a b Gyraulus parvus. Archived 2016-12-31 at the Wayback Machine Invertebrate Abstracts. Arizona Game and Fish Department.
  5. ^ NatureServe. 2014. Gyraulus parvus. NatureServe Explorer.
  6. ^ Gyraulus parvus. AnimalBase.
  7. ^ Laman, T. G., et al. (1984). The role of Gyraulus parvus as an intermediate host for avian schistosomes. Proc Helminthol Soc Wash 51(2) 267-69.