Mutela zambesiensis Mandahl-Barth, 1988

Rapalai, Boikhutso Lerato, 2024, An annotated checklist of molluscs recorded from Botswana, Indago: Investigating nature and humanity in Africa (Oxford, England) 41 (10), pp. 15-44 : 20

8. Mutela zambesiensis Mandahl-Barth, 1988

Distribution and year: Boteti River, near Maun [FMNH293190] 1988 ( GBIF 2023 b); Thamalakane River at Maun, Okavango Delta [TMSA1075] 1973 ( Appleton 1979); Chief’s Island, Okavango Delta 2000 ( Appleton et al. 2003); Nxaraga/Guma Lagoon, Okavango Delta 2000 ( Appleton et al. 2003), 2019 ( GBIF 2023 b); Gadikwe Lagoon, Okavango Delta 2000 ( Appleton et al. 2003); Savuti River, Chobe National Park 1984 ( GBIF 2023 b); Savuti Channel, 50 miles N Maun [FSMC539364] 1984 ( GBIF 2023 b); San Ta Wani Camp, Okavango Delta [FSMC40445] 1983 ( Graf & Cummings 2023).

Geographic range: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Habitat: Freshwater.

Notes: These molluscs are treated as a food source in Namibia (Kristensen & Stensgaard 2010). It appears that M. zambeziensis specimens were once erroneously identified as M. dubia and M. rostrata (see Appleton 1979; Connolly 1939). For the consistency sake, it is recommended that all Southern African specimens are assigned the name M. zambesiensis ( Appleton 2002; Graf, pers. comm. 2023). Here, all Botswana records of M. rostrata and M. dubia are treated under M. zambesiensi s.

Type locality: Zambezi River, between Kariba and Chirundu ( Mandahl-Barth 1988) .

Sources: Appleton (1979: 161, as M. dubia ); Appleton et al. (2003: 58–68); Graf & Cummings (2006: 173; 2023); Appleton & Miranda (2015: 134); GBIF (2023 b).

Conservation status: Least Concern.