Tiphobia

Tiphobia horei is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Paludomidae.
Tiphobia horei is the only species in the genus Tiphobia. Tiphobia is the type genus of the tribe Tiphobiini.
The specific name horei is in honor of Reverend Edward Coode Hore from the UK.

Distribution and habitat

Tiphobia horei is endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. The type locality is Lake Tanganyika at Ujiji.
It is typically found on muddy bottoms and often near river mouths. It ranges from the shoreline to a depth of about but tends to be more common in deeper waters.

Description

Tiphobia horei has a large shell with spines, so it is easily to determine.
The width of the shell typically is, and the height typically is, but the latter can reach up to about.
Tiphobia horei is ovoviviparous, there are typically almost 500 embryos per time and upon being "born" each young is up to about long. This snail feeds on detritus.

Conservation status

This snail was given Endangered species status in 1996, but in 2006 this was revised to Least Concern, as it was found to be widespread within the lake and at least locally common. It is facing sedimentation, dredging and shell collecting, but these are considered to be minor threats to this species.