Genus of gastropods
Potamolithus is a genus of small freshwater snails that have an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Tateidae.[2][3][4]
Potamolithus was traditionally classified within the Hydrobiidae.[2] However, anatomical study of Potamolithus by Davis & Pons da Silva (1984)[2] showed its relationship with Lithoglyphus,[2] and it is then placed within the family Lithoglyphidae.
The first appearance of the name Potamolithus was in November 1896 as a nomen nudum (a bare name with no description or illustration).[5][6] The genus was formally defined by Pilsbry in December 1896.[1]
Distribution
Potamolithus is the only genus of the family Tateidae in South America. Distribution of Potamolithus includes Argentina (22 species, 11 species are endemic to Argentina),[7] Uruguay (17 species)[8] and Brazil.[3] Potamolithus is the largest genus (i.e. the one with the highest species richness) of recent freshwater snails in Argentina[7] and in Uruguay.[8]
Species
Species within the genus Potamolithus include:
- Potamolithus agapetus Pilsbry, 1911[3][9][8][10]
- Potamolithus bushii (Frauenfeld, 1865)[3][8][10]
- Potamolithus callosus Pilsbry, 1925[10]
- Potamolithus carinifer Pilsbry, 1911[8]
- Potamolithus catharinae Pilsbry, 1911[3][9][8][10]
- Potamolithus concordianus Parodiz, 1966[3][10]
- Potamolithus conicus (Brot, 1867)[3][10]
- Potamolithus dinochilus Pilsbry, 1896[10]
- Potamolithus doeringi Pilsbry, 1911[3][9][8][10]
- Potamolithus felipponei Ihering, 1910[8]
- Potamolithus hidalgoi Pilsbry, 1896[3][10] - synonyms: Potamolithus microthauma Pilsbry, 1896; Potamolithus dinochilus Pilsbry, 1896; Potamolithus hatcheri Pilsbry, 1911[8]
- Potamolithus iheringi Pilsbry, 1896[3][8][10]
- Potamolithus karsticus Simone & Moracchioli, 1994[11]
- Potamolithus lapidum (d'Orbigny, 1835)[3][10] - synonyms: Potamolithus lapidum supersulcatus Pilsbry, 1896; Potamolithus paysanduanus Ihering, 1910; Potamolithus lapidum var. elatior Pilsbry, 1911; Potamolithus callosus Pilsbry, 1926[8]
- Potamolithus microthauma Pilsbry, 1896[10]
- Potamolithus orbignyi Pilsbry, 1896[3][8][10]
- Potamolithus paranensis Pilsbry, 1911[3][9][10]
- Potamolithus peristomatus (d'Orbigny, 1835)[3][8][10]
- Potamolithus petitianus (d'Orbigny, 1840)[3][10]
- Potamolithus petitianus sykesii Pilsbry, 1896 - synonyms: Potamolithus bisinuatus bisinuatus Pilsbry, 1896; Potamolithus bisinuatus obsoletus Pilsbry, 1896; Potamolithus gracilis gracilis Pilsbry, 1896; Potamolithus gracilis viridis Pilsbry, 1896[8]
- Potamolithus philipianus Pilsbry, 1911[3][9][8][10]
- Potamolithus quadratus Pilsbry & Ihering, 1911[3][9][8][10]
- Potamolithus rushii Pilsbry, 1896[3][8] - type genus[1][10]
- Potamolithus ribeirensis Pilsbry, 1911[11][9]
- Potamolithus simplex Pilsbry, 1911[3][9][8][10]
- Potamolithus tricostatus (Brot, 1867)[3][8][10]
- Potamolithus troglobius Simone & Moracchioli, 1994[11]
- Potamolithus valchetensis Miquel, 1998[3]
Ecology
Potamolithus species live in streams. Some species are subterranean, living in caves (for example Potamolithus troglobius and Potamolithus karsticus).[11]