Lymnaeidae, Rafinesque, 1815

Jindal, Rajinder & Wats, Meenu, 2021, Systematic descriptions and seasonal variations of mollusc in Chandigarh (U. T., India) and its surrounding freshwater bodies, International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 9 (3), pp. 165-173 : 168-169

Family: Lymnaeidae

Lymnaeidae family is having world-wide distribution. Its maximum diversity is found in the northern part of North America. The shells of this family are dextral showing varied sizes, from small to medium and variable shapes, globular to attenuate. They live in shallow waters, where temperature is generally found high and more food for them is available. Few exceptional species are known to inhabit deep lakes. They also act as vectors of helminths parasites that severely affect human and livestock as well.

Lymnaea mimetica (Annandale, 1918)

Taxonomic description- Shell dextral, non-operculate, small, thin, fragile, oblong, pale or cream coloured; number of whorls 3; body whorl narrow; spire short; apex blunt; columellar callus absent; aperture oblong, outer lip thin and sharp.

Radix persica (Issel, 1865)

Taxonomic description - Shell dextral, non-operculate, large, inflated, whitish to creamish, sculptured with transpiral striae; number of whorls 4, body whorl large, inflated; spire short, sunken, pointed and acuminated; aperture large, obliquely placed, greatly expanded; columellar fold highly developed, twisted, fold occludes umbilicus, callus well developed, gets sharply narrowed below twist.

Radix acuminata (Lamarck, 1822)

Taxonomic description- Shell dextral, non-operculate, thin, fragile, oblong-ovate, glossy, smooth, sculptured with fine and feeble vertical lines without spiral ridges; number of whorls four and half, body whorl inflated; spire short, acuminate, apical whorls somewhat flattened, forming an acute spire, separated by a very oblique suture; aperture large, wide; number of whorls 4-5; umbilicus imperforate; columellar fold prominent, twisted; callus whitish and well developed.

Radix biacuminata (Annandale and Rao, 1925)

Taxonomic description- Shell dextral, non-operculate, thin, large, fragile, narrow, elongate, spindle shape, sculptured with curved longitudinal striae, pale luteous colour; number of whorls three and half; aperture large, ovoid; columellar callus well developed, slightly twisted with a broad fold; umbilicus completely occluded.

Radix luteola (Lamarck, 1822)

Taxonomic description- Shell dextral, non-operculate, small, ovate, smooth, glossy, pale yellow colour with whitish bands; number of whorls three and half, body whorl inflated, broad at anterior end; spire conical, less pointed placed little laterally to body whorl; sutures traverse, length of suture at base of spire almost equal to height of spire; aperture ovate, narrow, rounded below; umbilicus closed; callus very less developed, translucent; inner peristome fused with body whorl, outer peristome thin.

Radix luteola ovalis (Gray, 1822)

Taxonomic description- Shell dextral, non-operculate, thin, ovate, brownish coloured, broad base; number of whorls 4; spire small, exerted, acuminated; body whorl large, quite inflated; apex pointed; sutures transverse; aperture oval,

peristome thin, simple; columella spirally twisted.

Galba truncatula (Müller, 1774)

Taxonomic description- Shell dextral, non-operculate, small, elongate-oval, slender, conical, smooth, nearly twice as high as broad, light brownish or straw coloured, more or less transparent, striae transpiral, fine, closely arranged; number of whorls 4, convex, oblique, slightly shouldered; spire gradually increasing in size; body whorl not much inflated; sutures, deep, impressed; aperture narrow, almost equally long as body whorl, rounded at the base with little reflected peristome; umbilical pore prominent; columellar callus not much developed, callus formation after the twist.