Glyptophysa is a genus of medium-sized sinistral (left-handed) air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family of Planorbidae.

Description

Shells are medium-sized, smooth and globose to elongate. Shells of Glyptophysa are always sinistral. "Members of the genus possess a twist or fold on the columella, a feature lacking in Isidorella and Physella. Whorls round or carinate."

Distribution

Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Moluccas, Philippines, Sumatra, islands of South Pacific east to Tahiti, and Malaysia (introduced).

Habitat and ecology

Often found on water weeds, submerged wood, rocks, gravel and sand in ponds, billabongs, swamps, and sluggish streams and rivers(both still and flowing). Occasionally on mud. "Feeds on algae and detritus." Glyptophysa snails are grazers-scrapers.

Species

Species in this genus include:

• Glyptophysa albertisi

• Glyptophysa aliciae (Reeve, 1862)

• Glyptophysa caledonica

• Glyptophysa cyphus

• Glyptophysa doopi

• Glyptophysa esau

• Glyptophysa fulgata

• Glyptophysa georgiana (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) – King George's Freshwater Snail

• Glyptophysa hispida

• Glyptophysa jukesii (H. Adams, 1861)

• Glyptophysa keysseri

• Glyptophysa moluccensis

• Glyptophysa nasuta

• Glyptophysa novahollandica (Bowdich, 1822)

• Glyptophysa novoguineae

• Glyptophysa obtusa

• Glyptophysa oconnori

• Glyptophysa ovalina

• Glyptophysa petiti – type species

• †Glyptophysa rodingae

• †Glyptophysa sinensis

• Glyptophysa proteus – tentatively placed here

• Glyptophysa stagnalis

• Glyptophysa sumatrana

• Glyptophysa toxopei

• Glyptophysa vandiemenensis (G. B. Sowerby II, 1873)

• Glyptophysa variabilis

• Glyptophysa vestita

• Glyptophysa wilhelminae

Species brought into synonymy

• Glyptophysa badia ; accepted as G. novahollandica

• †Glyptophysa carinata ; unaccepted

• Glyptophysa gibbosa ; accepted as G. novahollandica. (Some sources accept this species as valid).

• †Glyptophysa micra ; unaccepted

• Glyptophysa novaehollandica; accepted as G. novahollandica (misspelling)

• Glyptophysa pyramidata ; accepted as G. gibbosa

• Glyptophysa rezvoji ; accepted as Culmenella rezvoji

Subgenera

• Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) ; alternative representation

• Glyptophysa (Oppletora) ; alternative representation

References