Assiminea

Assiminea is a genus of minute, salt-tolerant snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks, or micromollusks, in the family Assimineidae.

Distribution and habitat

These snails can be found worldwide. They live usually in brackish water between tide-marks on the mud
of estuaries and salt marshes of tropical and temperate regions, at beaches, in water and at land. But species are to be found both in perfectly salt and in perfectly fresh water.

Description

These are very small to medium large snails, between 2 and 13 mm. Some adults do not exceed a size of 3 mm. Some related genera, such as Paludinella, are so remarkably similar in shell form that they are often confused.
The shape of the thin shells is somewhat ovately conical. The margin of the aperture is simple. The operculum is in most cases horny. The eyes are at the end of short, stout stalks. They feed on vegetable detritus and small algae. They lay their eggs in the mud, and hatch as free-swimming larvae.

Species

According to the World Register of Marine Species, the following species with valid names are included within the genus Assiminea :

† Assiminea aldra Dall, 1915 Assiminea alveolata Viader, 1939Assiminea aurifera Preston, 1912Assiminea avilai van Aartsen, 2008Assiminea blanfordi Abbott, 1958Assiminea boettgeri Abbott, 1958Assiminea cienegensis Hershler, H.-P. Liu & Lang, 2007Assiminea cincta A. Adams, 1861 Assiminea compacta Assiminea cornea
† Assiminea costata D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982
† Assiminea crassa D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982 Assiminea crassitesta O. Boettger, 1893Assiminea dubiosa Assiminea eliae Paladilhe, 1875 Assiminea estuarina Habe, 1946Assiminea fasciata Assiminea geayi Lamy, 1910Assiminea gittenbergeri van Aartsen, 2008Assiminea glaubrechti van Aartsen, 2008Assiminea globulus Connoly, 1939Assiminea grayana Fleming, 1828
† Assiminea guangdongensis H.-J. Wang, 1982 Assiminea habei Abbott, 1958Assiminea hessei O. Boettger, 1887Assiminea hiradoensis Habe, 1942Assiminea hungerfordiana G. Nevill, 1880
† Assiminea isoceles Connolly, 1939 Assiminea japonica Martens, 1877Assiminea keniana D. S. Brown, 1980Assiminea kurodai Habe, 1942
† Assiminea latiovata S.-Z. Guan, 1987 Assiminea lugubris Turton, 1932Assiminea lutea
† Assiminea magna D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1985 Assiminea marginata Assiminea melanesica I. Rensch, 1937Assiminea mesopotamica Glöer, Naser & Yasser, 2007
† Assiminea mirabilis D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982Assiminea moroccoensis Rolán, 2013Assiminea morrisoni Abbott, 1958Assiminea navigatorum Benthem Jutting, 1963Assiminea occulta Rolán, 2013
† Assiminea ovata D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982 Assiminea ovata Assiminea palauensis Thiele, 1927Assiminea parasitologica Kuroda, 1958Assiminea parvula Assiminea parvula Morelet, 1877 Assiminea peaseana G. Nevill, 1880 Assiminea pecos D.W. Taylor, 1987 Assiminea ponsonbyi Morelet, 1889Assiminea possietica Golikov & Kussakin in Golikov & Scarlato, 1967
† Assiminea pressoopercula H.-J. Wang, 1980 Assiminea principensis Rolán, 2013Assiminea punctum Morelet, 1882
† Assiminea retopercula H.-J. Wang, 1977 Assiminea rolani van Aartsen, 2008Assiminea rotunda W. T. Blanford, 1867 Assiminea saotomensis Rolán, 2013Assiminea savesi Assiminea schlickumi Brandt, 1974Assiminea schuetti Brandt, 1974Assiminea semilirata O. Boettger, 1893Assiminea senegalensis Rolán, 2013Assiminea sinensis Nevill, 1880
† Assiminea skyensis F. W. Anderson & L. R. Cox, 1948
† Assiminea striatura D. A. Bullis, Herhold, Czekanski-Moir, Grimaldi & Rundell, 2020 Assiminea subconica Assiminea subcylindrica I. Rensch, 1937Assiminea subeffusa O. Boettger, 1887Assiminea templeana G. Nevill, 1880
† Assiminea tergestina Stache, 1889 Assiminea theobaldiana Nevill, 1880Assiminea thielei Abbott, 1958Assiminea translucens Assiminea umlaasiana
† Assiminea waitemata Laws, 1950 Assiminea woodmasoniana G. Nevill, 1880Assiminea yoshidayukioi Kuroda, 1959Assiminea zilchi Brandt, 1974Assiminea zubairensis Glöer & Naser, 2013

The Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database also includes the following species with names in current use :Assiminea interrupta Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1905
The database ITIS also mentions the following species :Assiminea auberiana Orbigny, 1842

Synonyms

Assiminea affinis Böttger, 1887: synonym of Taiwanassiminea affinis Assiminea affinis Mousson, 1874: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides Assiminea andrewsiana E. A. Smith, 1900: synonym of Angustassiminea andrewsiana Assiminea angustata Pilsbry, 1901: synonym of Ansola angustata Assiminea antipodum Filhol, 1880 : synonym of Laevilitorina antipodum Assiminea australis Petterd, 1889: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides Assiminea australis Thiele, 1927: synonym of Assiminea brevicula Assiminea bedaliensis Rensch, 1934: synonym of Taiwanassiminea bedaliensis Assiminea beddomiana Nevill, 1881: synonym of Assiminea beddomeana G. Nevill, 1880 synonym of Austropilula beddomeana Assiminea bella Kuroda, 1958: synonym of Assiminea hiradoensis T. Habe, 1942Assiminea bicincta Petterd, 1889: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides Assiminea bifasciata Nevill, 1880: synonym of Assiminea ovata Assiminea brevicula : synonym of Optediceros breviculum Assiminea buccinoides : synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides Assiminea caledonica : synonym of Crossilla caledonica Assiminea californica : California assiminea : synonym of Angustassiminea californica Assiminea capensis Bartsch, 1915: synonym of Assiminea ovata Assiminea carinata I. Lea, 1856: synonym of Cyclotropis carinata Assiminea castanea Westerlund, 1883: synonym of Angustassiminea castanea

† Assiminea conoidea von Koenen, 1882 : synonym of † Peringia conoidea
† Assiminea contracta Cossmann, 1888 : synonym of † Peringia contracta Assiminea corpulenta van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Paludinella corpulenta
† Assiminea crassa Etheridge, 1879: synonym of † Littoridina crassa Assiminea creutzbergi De Jong & Coomans, 1988: synonym of Barleeia creutzbergi
† Assiminea distinguenda Cossmann, 1899: synonym of † Peringia distinguenda Assiminea dohrniana G. Nevill, 1880: synonym of Ovassiminea dohrniana
† Assiminea eburnoides Cossmann, 1888: synonym of † Emmericia eburnoides
† Assiminea elatior Cossmann, 1907: synonym of † Lapparentia elatior Assiminea gerhardtae De Jong & Coomans, 1988: synonym of Caelatura gerhardtae
† Assiminea gottscheana von Koenen, 1882: synonym of † Peringia gottscheana Assiminea granum Morelet, 1882: synonym of Paludinella hidalgoi f. granum Assiminea hayasii Habe, 1942: synonym of Taiwanassiminea hayasii Assiminea hidalgoi : synonym of Paludinella hidalgoi Assiminea infima Berry, 1947 : synonym of Angustassiminea infima Assiminea knysnaensis : synonym of Hydrobia knysnaensis Assiminea kushimotoensis Kuroda, 1958: synonym of Angustassiminea castanea Assiminea latericea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1864: synonym of Pseudomphala latericea Assiminea lentula van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Taiwanassiminea lentula Assiminea leptodonta Connolly, 1922: synonym of Eussoia leptodonta Assiminea lirata Turton, 1932: synonym of Tomichia tristis Assiminea littorina sensu Philippi, 1841: synonym of Paludinella globularis Assiminea lucida Pease, 1869: synonym of Angustassiminea lucida Assiminea microsculpta Nevill, 1880: synonym of Sculptassiminea microsculpta Assiminea miniata Martens, 1866: synonym of Assiminea brevicula : synonym of Optediceros breviculum Assiminea miyazakii Habe, 1943: synonym of Pseudomphala miyazakii
† Assiminea nicolasi ROman, 1912: synonym of † Hydrobia nicolasi Assiminea nitida : this species belongs to the genus Paludinella as has been demonstrated by Thiele, because of a different dentition and an open umbilicus: synonym of Angustassiminea nitida Assiminea ostiorum Bavay, 1920: synonym of Assiminea grayana J. Fleming, 1828Assiminea pagodella Hedley, 1903: synonym of Ascorhis victoriae Assiminea philippinica Boettger, 1887: synonym of Metassiminea philippinica Assiminea queenslandica Thiele, 1927: synonym of Taiwanassiminea affinis Assiminea recta Mousson, 1874: synonym of Peringia ulvae Assiminea relata Cotton, 1942; synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides Assiminea riparia van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Taiwanassiminea riparia Assiminea rubella Blanford, 1867: synonym of Assiminea brevicula : synonym of Optediceros breviculum Assiminea rufostrigata Hesse, 1916: synonym of Pontiturboella rufostrigata Assiminea satsumana Habe, 1942: synonym of Angustassiminea satsumana Assiminea septentrionalis Habe, 1942: synonym of Assiminea japonica E. von Martens, 1877Assiminea sororcula van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Taiwanassiminea sororcula
† Assiminea stenochora Cossmann, 1888: synonym of † Lapparentia stenochora Assiminea succinea : Atlantic assiminea : synonym of Angustassiminea succinea Assiminea tasmanica Tenison-Woods, 1876: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides Assiminea tyttha Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897: synonym of Hydrocena noticola Benson, 1856Assiminea violacea Heude, 1882: synonym of Euassiminea violacea Assiminea vulgaris : synonym of ''Angustassiminea vulgaris''