Theodoxus


Theodoxus is a genus of nerites, small water snails with an operculum, some of which live in freshwater, and some in both freshwater and brackish water, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae, the nerites.

Distribution

The distribution of the genus Theodoxus includes Europe and northern Africa and also extends east to southern Iran. No other species within Neritidae have sympatrical distribution with Theodoxus. The distribution of the genus Theodoxus is an exception within Neritidae, because Neritidae live primarily in the southern hemisphere. Species within Theodoxus are the only Neritidae snails, that live in temperate climate.
Bunje & Lindberg presented the first phylogenetic hypothesis of the clade Theodoxus. The evolution of the genus Theodoxus was affected by separating of Mediterranean Sea and Paratethys sea in Miocene.

Description

The shell in this genus is semiovular with a flat apertural plain. There is no umbilicus. The columella and inner whorls are dissolved.
Species in the genus Theodoxus are highly variable in size, in color pattern of the periostracum, in details of the operculum and in the radula, and all these factors can make identification to species level very challenging.

Ecology

These animals live on stones, and often also under stones, in up to 5–6 m depth or deeper, feeding on algal covers. Theodoxus needs rough surfaces in order to be able to digest its food, so a stony substrate is necessary. Green algae are not consumed; Theodoxus has no cellulases. These snails lay egg capsules containing 30–70 eggs each, usually on the shells of other Theodoxus animals; only one juvenile grows, the other eggs serve as food.

Species

There were no systematic review of the genus Theodoxus as of 2007. Bunje noted at least 34 extant taxa at species level in the genus Theodoxus. IUCN Red List provided conservation status for 23 species of Theodoxus.
Species within the genus Theodoxus include:
; Subgenus Brusinaella Andrusov, 1912
; Subgenus Calvertia Bourguignat, 1880
;Subgenus Neritonyx Andrusov, 1912
;Subgenus Ninniopsis Tomlin, 1930
;Subgenus Neritaea Roth, 1855Theodoxus anatolicus
;Subgenus Theodoxus Montfort, 1810Theodoxus altenai Schütt, 1965Theodoxus baeticus
;Subgenus ?
;Synonyms:
  • Theodoxus burdigalensis : synonym of † Theodoxus trifasciatus Theodoxus cariosus and Theodoxus cariosa are synonyms of Neritina cariosa
  • Theodoxus dacicus Jekelius, 1944: synonym of † Theodoxus leobersdorfensis dacicus Jekelius, 1944 Theodoxus doriae Issel, 1865: synonym of Theodoxus fluviatilis : synonym of Theodoxus fluviatilis Theodoxus euphraticus : synonym of Neritina euphratica Mousson, 1874
  • Theodoxus intracarpatica Jekelius, 1944: synonym of † Theodoxus intracarpaticus Jekelius, 1944 Theodoxus lutetianus Montfort, 1810: synonym of Theodoxus fluviatilis : synonym of Theodoxus fluviatilis
  • Theodoxus mariae : synonym of † Neritina mariae Handmann, 1887
  • Theodoxus martensi : synonym of † Ninnia martensi Theodoxus neglectus : synonym of Neritina neglecta
  • Theodoxus oslavanensis Rzehak, 1893: synonym of † Theodoxus cyrtocelis austriacus Theodoxus oualaniense : synonym of Clithon oualaniense
  • Theodoxus perlongus Jekelius, 1944: synonym of † Theodoxus zografi perlongus Jekelius, 1944
  • Theodoxus petralbensis Jekelius, 1944: synonym of † Theodoxus zografi petralbensis Jekelius, 1944
  • Theodoxus pictus : synonym of † Agapilia picta Theodoxus reclivatus Say, 1822: synonym of Neritina usnea
  • Theodoxus rumanus : synonym of † Theodoxus stefanescui
  • Theodoxus scamandri : synonym of † Theodoxus scamandrius Theodoxus vespertinus : synonym of Neritina vespertinus
  • Theodoxus vetranici : synonym of † Neritina vetranici Theodoxus virginea : synonym of Neritina virginea
  • Theodoxus pictus bizonalis : synonym of † ''Agapilia picta bizonalis''