Freshwater Molluscan Shells: Pulmonata families [Physidae], [Lymnaeidae], [Chilinidae] Family Planorbidae Generally referred to as "Wheel Snails", "Orb Snails", or "Ramshorn snails", the Planorbidae are the largest family of aquatic pulmonate gastropods, with species present on all continents and most islands. They are sinistral in their orientation, in spite of the fact that some may appear dextral due to the spire being sunken more than the umbilicus. Many of these species harbor the larvae of parasitic worms, particularly southern and Old-World taxa. Some are patelliform or limpet-like (see Freshwater limpets). Banarescu (1990) provides the following classification, here tabulated. Many subgeneric and subspecific names are in use, so for instance, the first specimens pictured are Planorbella (Pierosoma) trivolvis trivolvis (Say, 1817).   Subfamily Tribe Genus   Rhodacmeinae   Rhodacmea; Southeast North America. Limpet-like.     Bulinini Bulinus; Africa, West Asia, southern Europe Indoplanorbis; Southern Asia Laevapex; eastern North America, limpet-like. Gundlachia; South and Central America   Bulininae Physastrini Isidorella; south and west Australia Bayardella; localities in Australia Patelloplanorbis; New Guinea, Limpet-like? Oppletora; northern Australia Ancylastrum; Tasmania Limpet-like? Miratesta; Celebes Is. Protancylus; Celebes Is. Limpet-like? Pettancylus; Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific, East Africa. Limpet-like? Barnupia; north Australia and New Guinea, East Africa, Limpet-like Ferrisia; temperate North America. Limpet-like Glyptophysa; southern Australia, New Zealand Physastra; Australia and New Zealand, New Guinea Ameriana; North and northeast Australia     Camproceratini Helisoma North America Planorbarius Siberia Camptoceras east and Southeast Asia     Planorbulini Planorbula, (including Menetus, Promenetus, and Planorbella of Burch, (1982); all North American.     Biomphalarinii Biomphalaria; central Africa and Central and South America Drepanotrema; South America, Antilles   Planorbinae Planorbini Planorbis; Europe, western Asia, northern Africa Afrogyrus and Afrogyrorbis; East Africa and Madagascar Anisus; Europe and West Asia. Bathyomphalus; Europe and much of Siberia Choanomphalus; Lake Baikal Gyraulis; all of both Europe and Africa, except Sahara     Segmentini Segmentina; most of Europe and Siberia Hippeutis; most of Europe through central Siberia Lentorbis and Segmentorbis; Central and Southern Africa Polypylis; coastal eastern asia and Japan Helicorbis; East and Southeast Asia     Ancylini Ancylus; Northern Hemisphere, discontinuous, Limpet-like   Uncertain   Neoplanorbis and Amphigyra; southeastern North America   Planorbella trivolvis (Say, 1817) Eastern and Central Canada and Northern U.S. Four views of two specimens: 1) Apertural view with left side to left. 2) Left or spire side of shell. 3&4) Right, or umbilical side       Planorbella scalaris (Jay, 1839) Florida Helisoma anceps (Menke, 1830) Eastern, central, and northern North America. Planorbella campanula (Say, 1821) North-Central North America     Planorbella tenuis (Dunker, 1850) Southern United States, Mexico; ponds.   Biomphalaria havanensis (?) (Pfeiffer, 1839) Southern U. S., Central America, West Indies; ponds.     Snail shell obtained from a breeder in Belgium, courtesy of Gerald Depaus. Possibly Planorbella occidentalis (Cooper, 1870) or Planorbella ammon (Gould, 1855)   Drepanotrema lucidum (Pfeiffer) West Indies Anisus filiaris (Gredler, 1885) western Asia     Anisus vortex Europe Bathyomphalis contortus (Linne, 1758) Europe     Hippeutis umbilicalis (Benson, 1836) x4 (left) Gyraulis siamensis (Martens, 1867) x4 (right) Brandt (1974) lists six Gyraulis, one Hippeutis and three Segmentina species for the territory of Thailand, some of which are hosts to Echinostoma and other parasites. All are small inconspicuous snails. Images from Brandt (1974).   Anisus leucostoma (Millet, 1813). Hungary. x 6     Planorbis corneus (L., 1758) Europe   Planorbid species from a pond in the south-Central United States, possibly an aquarium escapee. Indoplanorbis exustus (Deshayes, 1834). Sri Lanka. x3   Biomphilaria tenagophila tenagophila (Orbigny, 1835). Bahia State, Brazil. x 3.   Isidorella hainesii (Tryon, 1866) Victoria, Australia.   Isidorella newcombi (Adams & Angas, 1864) South Australia. Glyptophysa gibbosa (Gould, 1546) Queensland, Australia.   Bulinus senegalensis O. F. Müller, 1781 Africa. Largest specimen is 4.4 mm. Despite the resemblance of these shells to the Physidae, they have been included with the Planorbidae in all sources available. The name Bulinus was originally applied by Müller to include Physa snails, and controversy has existed as to whether "Bulinus" might have priority for Physa. (Pilsbry and Becquaert, 1927)   Physopsis africana globosa (Morelet, 1866). Africa, to 20 mm. long. Black and white images from Pilsbry and Becquaert, 1927, courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History families [Physidae], [Lymnaeidae], [Chilinidae] Sitemap Home Page.