Cahaba pebblesnail
Encyclopedia
The Cahaba pebblesnail, scinetific name Clappia cahabensis, is a species
of very small freshwater snail
, aquatic
gastropod mollusks in the family Lithoglyphidae
.
This species is named after the Cahaba River
. This species is endemic to the United States
.
This species was listed as extinct in the 2006 and 2010 IUCN Red List
. It was though to be extinct because of water pollution
coming from modern surface mining of coal in the USA
.
Until recently the Cahaba pebblesnail was believed to be extinct, one of 34 snail species fallen victim to dams built along the Coosa River
between 1917 and 1967. In 2004 however, biologists discovered the snail living less than fifty miles to the west, in Alabama's Cahaba River
, which parallels the Coosa.
in 1965. Clench's type description reads as follows:
is river
s. Clappia cahabensis requires rapid flowing sections of river shoals.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of very small 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....
, 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 Lithoglyphidae
Lithoglyphidae
Lithoglyphidae is a family of small freshwater snails with gills and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks.This family is in the superfamily Rissooidea and in the clade Littorinimorpha .- Taxonomy :Taylor , Ponder & Warén and Kabat & Hershler considered this taxon as a subfamily...
.
This species is named after the Cahaba River
Cahaba River
The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. The Cahaba River is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River Basin...
. This species is endemic to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
This species was listed as extinct in the 2006 and 2010 IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. It was though to be extinct because of water pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
coming from modern surface mining of coal in the USA
Coal mining in the United States
Coal mining in the United States is a major industry, and reached an all-time high of 1.06 Gt in 2008, being mined in 25 states. The US was a net exporter of coal in 2008, with the surplus of exports over imports equalling 4% of the total mined.- Coal mining areas :Twenty-six states produce coal...
.
Until recently the Cahaba pebblesnail was believed to be extinct, one of 34 snail species fallen victim to dams built along the Coosa River
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long altogether.The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers...
between 1917 and 1967. In 2004 however, biologists discovered the snail living less than fifty miles to the west, in Alabama's Cahaba River
Cahaba River
The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. The Cahaba River is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River Basin...
, which parallels the Coosa.
Description
Clappia cahabensis has been described by American malacologist William J. ClenchWilliam J. Clench
William James Clench was an American malacologist, professor at Harvard University and curator of the mollusk collection in the malacology department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard.Clench was born in Brooklyn, but was largely raised in Massachusetts. In 1913 he entered the...
in 1965. Clench's type description reads as follows:
Ecology
Its natural habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. Clappia cahabensis requires rapid flowing sections of river shoals.