Planorbella duryi, common name the Seminole rams-horn, is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails. The species is endemic to Florida and is found frequently in home aquariums.

Planorbella duryi
Temporal range:
Piacenzian - recent
A live Planorbella duryi individual
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superorder: Hygrophila
Family: Planorbidae
Genus: Planorbella
Species:
P. duryi
Binomial name
Planorbella duryi
(Wetherby, 1879)
Synonyms
  • Planorbis (Helisoma) duryi Wetherby, 1879
  • Helisoma duryi (Wetherby, 1879)


Description

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Apical and apertural view of a shell of Planorbella duryi. Scale bar is 10 mm.

In the wild they are brown.[1] In captivity they have been bred to come in many colours. These colours are:

  • Brown
  • Brown leopard
  • Blue
  • Blue leopard
  • Red/orange
  • Pink
  • Green
  • Purple[2]

Distribution

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Fossilized Planorbella duryi eroding out of the Tamiami formation, in Florida

This species of snail is endemic to the freshwater ecosystems of the US state of Florida.[3] Fossils of the species have been found dating back to the Piacenzian, in the Tamiami formation.

It has been introduced to Hawaii and lives in the wild there.[4] It is an introduced species in various European islands and countries including:[5]

Habitat

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They are found in most freshwater habitats including streams and ponds.[8]

Conservation status

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This species is listed by natureserve as G5.[9]

Diet

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They eat dead or decaying plants or fish, and algae.[10]

Breeding

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They are hermaphrodites. They lay eggs and are very fast breeders.[11]

Human use

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They are a very common aquarium snail. Eggs can get into aquariums on plants. Some people consider them pests due to their ability to breed very fast and overpopulate. Other people value them as part of their clean up crew.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "PLANORBIDAE, Helisoma duryi | Conchology". conchology.be.
  2. ^ "Ramshorn Snail: Care, Colors & Info (+ Why You Need Them)". pure gold fish.
  3. ^ "AnimalBase :: Helisoma duryi species homepage". animalbase.
  4. ^ "Planorbella duryi". hbs.bishopmuseum.
  5. ^ "AnimalBase :: Helisoma duryi species homepage". animalbase.
  6. ^ Handal, Elias; Adawi, Shadi; Gedeon, Johann; Amr, Zuhair S. (2023-03-25). "Notes on the current status of freshwater snails fauna of the Palestinian territories (West Bank)". Folia Malacologica. 31 (2): 92–99. doi:10.12657/folmal.031.010. ISSN 1506-7629.
  7. ^ Čejka, Tomáš; Beran, Luboš; Adamcová, Tereza; Bronišová, Veronika; Coufal, Radovan; Čiliak, Marek; Drvotová, Magda; Horáčková, Jitka; Horsáková, Veronika; Juřičková, Lucie; Kocurková, Alena; Korábek, Ondřej; Podroužková, Štěpánka; Říhová, Dagmar B.; Šlachtová, Erika (2024-06-24). "Malacological news from the Czech and Slovak Republics in 2023". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca. 23: 69–83. doi:10.5817/MaB2024-23-69. ISSN 1336-6939.
  8. ^ "Planorbella duryi". hbs.bishopmuseum.
  9. ^ "Planorbella duryi | NatureServe Explorer 2.0". natureserve Explorer.
  10. ^ "Ramshorn Snails - Detailed Guide: Care, Diet and Breeding". aquarium breeder.
  11. ^ "Ramshorn Snail Care, Size, Food, Reproduction, Lifespan - Video". aquarium care basics.
  12. ^ "Ramshorn Snail Guide | Removal & Information". Aquarium info.
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