Bulinus
Encyclopedia
Bulinus is a genus
of small tropical freshwater snail
s, aquatic
gastropod mollusks in the family
Planorbidae
, the ramshorn snails and their allies.
This genus is medically important because several species of Bulinus function as intermediate hosts
for the schistosomiasis
blood fluke
.
including Madagascar and the Middle East
.
This genus has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species
which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine
significance in the USA.
Species within the genus Bulinus have been placed into four species group
s: the Bulinus africanus group, Bulinus forskalii group, Bulinus reticulatus group and the Bulinus truncatus/tropicus complex
. For the most part, species have been classified on the basis of their morphology although, in recent decades, the study of ploidy
, allozymes and DNA methods have all played an increasing role in species discrimination. Morphological characters, whilst adequate to allocate a specimen to a species group are sometimes unreliable when used to classify at higher resolution especially within the Bulinus africanus group.
There are 37 (or 38 species when the Bulinus mutandensis
is recognized as a saparate species) species within the genus Bulinus including:
Bulinus africanus group - 10 species
Bulinus forskalii group - 11 species
Bulinus reticulatus group - 2 species
Bulinus truncatus/tropicus complex - 14-15 species
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small tropical freshwater snail
Freshwater snail
A freshwater snail is one kind of freshwater mollusc, the other kind being freshwater clams and mussels, i.e. freshwater bivalves. Specifically a freshwater snail is a gastropod that lives in a watery non-marine habitat. The majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions....
s, aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
gastropod mollusks in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Planorbidae
Planorbidae
Planorbidae, common name the ramshorn snails or ram's horn snails, is a family of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks....
, the ramshorn snails and their allies.
This genus is medically important because several species of Bulinus function as intermediate hosts
Host (biology)
In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter. In botany, a host plant is one that supplies food resources and substrate for certain insects or other fauna...
for the schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
blood fluke
Trematoda
Trematoda is a class within the phylum Platyhelminthes that contains two groups of parasitic flatworms, commonly referred to as "flukes".-Taxonomy and biodiversity:...
.
Shell description
The shell of species in the genus Bulinus is sinistral. It has a very large body whorl and a small spire.Distribution
These snails are widespread in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
including Madagascar and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
This genus has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
significance in the USA.
Species
Species group
A species group is an informal taxonomic rank into which an assemblage of closely related species within a genus are grouped because of their morphological similarities and their identity as a biological unit with a single monophyletic origin.-Use:...
s: the Bulinus africanus group, Bulinus forskalii group, Bulinus reticulatus group and the Bulinus truncatus/tropicus complex
Species complex
A species complex is a group of closely related species, where the exact demarcation between species is often unclear or cryptic owing to their recent and usually still incomplete reproductive isolation. Ring species, superspecies and cryptic species complex are example of species complex...
. For the most part, species have been classified on the basis of their morphology although, in recent decades, the study of ploidy
Ploidy
Ploidy is the number of sets of chromosomes in a biological cell.Human sex cells have one complete set of chromosomes from the male or female parent. Sex cells, also called gametes, combine to produce somatic cells. Somatic cells, therefore, have twice as many chromosomes. The haploid number is...
, allozymes and DNA methods have all played an increasing role in species discrimination. Morphological characters, whilst adequate to allocate a specimen to a species group are sometimes unreliable when used to classify at higher resolution especially within the Bulinus africanus group.
There are 37 (or 38 species when the Bulinus mutandensis
Bulinus mutandensis
Bulinus mutandensis is a species of freshwater gastropod in the Planorbidae family. It is endemic to Uganda. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes....
is recognized as a saparate species) species within the genus Bulinus including:
Bulinus africanus group - 10 species
- Bulinus abyssinicusBulinus abyssinicusBulinus abyssinicus is a species of tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies....
(Martens, 1866) - Bulinus africanusBulinus africanusBulinus africanus is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.- Further reading :* Cridland C. C....
(Krauss, 1848) - Bulinus globosusBulinus globosusBulinus globosus is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.- Further reading :* Cridland C. C....
(Morelet, 1866) - Bulinus hightoniBulinus hightoniBulinus hightoni is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.-Distribution:This species is endemic to Kenya, Africa.-Habitat:...
Brown & Wright, 1978 - Bulinus jousseaumeiBulinus jousseaumeiBulinus jousseaumei is a species of tropical freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.Like other planorbids, the shell of the species is sinistral in coiling.-Distribution:...
(Dautzenberg, 1890) - Bulinus nasutusBulinus nasutusBulinus nasutus is a species of tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.-Distribution:...
(Martens, 1879) - Bulinus obtusispiraBulinus obtusispiraBulinus obtusispira is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.- Distribution :...
(Smith, 1882) - Bulinus obtusus Mandahl-Barth, 1973
- Bulinus ugandae Mandahl-Barth, 1954
- Bulinus umbilicatus Mandahl-Barth, 1973
Bulinus forskalii group - 11 species
- Bulinus barthiBulinus barthiBulinus barthi is a species of small tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies....
Jelnes, 1979 - Bulinus bavayi (Dautzenberg, 1894)
- Bulinus beccarii (Paladilhe, 1872)
- Bulinus browniBulinus browniBulinus browni is a species of freshwater snail, a gastropod in the Planorbidae family. It is endemic to Kenya....
Jelnes, 1979 - Bulinus camerunensisBulinus camerunensisBulinus camerunensis is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.This species is endemic to Cameroon....
Mandahl-Barth, 1957 - Bulinus canescensBulinus canescensBulinus canescens is a species of freshwater snail, a gastropod in the Planorbidae family. It is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia....
(Morelet, 1868) - Bulinus cernicusBulinus cernicusBulinus cernicus is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.This species is found in Mauritius and Reunion Island....
(Morelet, 1867) - Bulinus crystallinusBulinus crystallinusBulinus crystallinus is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.This species is found in Angola and Gabon....
(Morelet, 1868) - Bulinus forskaliiBulinus forskaliiBulinus forskalii is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.- Distribution :...
(Ehrenberg, 1831) - Bulinus scalaris (Dunker, 1845)
- Bulinus senegalensis Müller, 1781 - the type speciesType speciesIn biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of the genus
Bulinus reticulatus group - 2 species
- Bulinus reticulatusBulinus reticulatusBulinus reticulatus is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies....
Mandahl-Barth, 1954 - Bulinus wrightiBulinus wrightiBulinus wrighti is a species of small tropical air-breathing freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.-Distribution:...
Mandahl-Barth, 1965
Bulinus truncatus/tropicus complex - 14-15 species
- Bulinus angolensis (Morelet, 1866)
- Bulinus depressus Haas, 1936
- Bulinus hexaploidusBulinus hexaploidusBulinus hexaploidus is a species of freshwater snail, a gastropod in the Planorbidae family. It is endemic to Ethiopia....
Burch, 1972 - Bulinus liratus (Tristram, 1863)
- Bulinus mutandensisBulinus mutandensisBulinus mutandensis is a species of freshwater gastropod in the Planorbidae family. It is endemic to Uganda. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes....
Preston, 1913 - Bulinus natalensisBulinus natalensisBulinus natalensis is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies....
(Küster, 1841) - Bulinus nyassanusBulinus nyassanusBulinus nyassanus is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.This species is endemic to Malawi....
(E. A. Smith, 1877) - Bulinus octoploidus Burch, 1972
- Bulinus permembranaceus (Preston, 1912)
- Bulinus succinoidesBulinus succinoidesBulinus succinoides is a species of freshwater snail, a gastropod in the Planorbidae family. It is endemic to Malawi....
(E. A. Smith, 1877) - Bulinus transversalisBulinus transversalisBulinus transversalis is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.This species is found in Kenya and Uganda....
(Martens, 1897) - Bulinus trigonus (Martens, 1892)
- Bulinus tropicusBulinus tropicusBulinus tropicus is a species of a tropical freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ramshorn snails and their allies.- Distribution :Distribution of Bulinus tropicus includes:* Namibia...
(Krauss, 1848) - Bulinus truncatusBulinus truncatusBulinus truncatus is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail with a sinistral shell, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.-Distribution:Distribution of Bulinus truncatus include:...
(Audouin, 1827) - Bulinus yemenensis Paggi et al., 1978