Marstonia scalariformis, previously known as Pyrgulopsis scalariformis, common name the moss pyrg, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Hydrobiidae.
| Marstonia scalariformis | |
|---|---|
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| Drawing of apertural view of the shell of Marstonia scalariformis. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Hydrobiidae |
| Subfamily: | Nymphophilinae |
| Genus: | Marstonia |
| Species: | M. scalariformis
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| Binomial name | |
| Marstonia scalariformis (Wolf, 1869)[2]
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| Synonyms | |
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Pyrgula scalariformis Wolf, 1869 | |
Shell description edit
The shell is turreted, slender. The shell has 6 whorls. The shell is chalky white in color. The suture is deeply impressed. The shell is carinate in its entire length on the lower edge of the whorls.[3]
The aperture is small, ovate, but slightly connected with the last whorl.[3]
The height of the shell is 12.7 mm (½ inch).[3]
Anatomy edit
The body of the animal is white.[4]
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Distribution edit
Distribution of Marstonia scalariformis include Illinois,[5] Alabama,[6] Iowa and Missouri.[1]
This species was abundant on its type locality on the Tazewell shore of the Illinois River in 1880s.[3]
Conservation edit
This species is critically imperiled.[1]
References edit
This article incorporates public domain text from reference.[3]
- ^ a b c "Marstonia scalariformis". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ Wolf (1869). Am. Jour. Conch. 5: p. 198, plate xvii, figure 3.
- ^ a b c d e Call R. E. & Pilsbry H. A. 1886. On Pyrgulopsis, a new genus of rissoid mollusk, with description of two new forms. Proceeding Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, volume V., page 9-14. Plate II., figure 13.
- ^ Hershler R. 1994. A review of the North American freshwater snail genus Pyrgulopsis (Hydrobiidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 554: 1–115, pp. 80–81.[dead link]
- ^ Aquatic Mollusca of Illinois, accessed 24 July 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Alabama State List of Endangered Mollusks, accessed 24 July 2009.[dead link]