Assignment of Taxonomy

Submitted to Dr Javeria Altaf

Submitted by Anza Khan

Roll# 1739

Msc zoology

Morning

Semester 2nd
Family Physidae
Physidae, common name the bladder snails, is a monophyletic taxonomic family of small air-
breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs.

Genus physa
Physa is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater
snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae.

I discusses physa acuta, physa fontinalis and physa gyrina.

Collection
I collect the each species into the fresh running water.

Preservation

1- I took the three empty glass bottles. In these bottles water is added.
2- I take 10 Specimes of physa acuta in one bottle, 10 specimens of physa fontinalis in
second and 10 specimems of physa gyrina are added in third glass bottle.
3- Close the lids of bottles. The air does not pass into the bottles.
4- After 2 to 3 days, look the bottles. The specimens are dead. I remove the water and add
the alchol in and again lids of bottles are closed.
Identification
1- Identification of physa acuta

physella acuta is a species of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snail,

an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. Common names include European
physa, tadpole snail, bladder snail, and acute bladder snail. Shell thin to thick, number of whorls
3, shell light horny yellowish, shell oval shape, apex sinistral

2- Identification of physa fontinalis

Physa fontinalis, common name the common bladder snailThe shells of species in the
genus Physa are left-handed or sinistral. The shell is 7 to 12 mm high and 4 to 7 mm wide. The
spiral has four to five whorls and the apex is rounded. The shell is very thin-walled, translucent,
shiny and is a pale horn colour. The body color is brown to black. The tentacles are long, slender
and cylindrical. The foot is long and thin.

3- Identification of physa gyrina

.
Physella gyrina, common name the "tadpole physa", Snails in the family Physidae
have shells that are sinistral, which means that if the shell is held with the spire pointing up, and
the aperture is facing the observer, the aperture is on the left-hand side.The shells
of Physella species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum. The shells
are thin and corneous and rather transparent.

Key development

Family Physidae

Characteristics:-
Physidae, common name the bladder snails, is a monophyletic taxonomic family of small air-
breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs.
Genus physa

Characteristics:-
Physa is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails,
aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae. The shells of Physella species
have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no operculum. The shells are thin and
corneous and rather transparent.
Distribution:-
This specie have world wide distribution from Aractic and Antaractic occur to equatorial region.

Habitat:-
Gastropods live in garden, rivers and lakes..
Distribution in Pakistan
Genus physa found in the areas of Pakistan in Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan.

Name of Species
• Physa acuta
• Physa fontinalis
• Physa gyrina

• Physa acuta
Snails in the family Physidae have shells are sinistral, which means that if the shell is held
with the aperture facing the observer and the spire pointing up, then the aperture is on the left-
hand side.

• Physa fontinalis
Physa fontinalis, common name the common bladder snail, is a species of air-breathing
freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Physidae. The shells of species in
the genus Physa are left-handed or sinistral. The shell is 7 to 12 mm high and 4 to 7 mm wide.
The spiral has four to five whorls The body color is brown to black. The foot is long and thin.
Bladder snails are hermaphrodites.
Physa gyrina
Physella gyrina, common name the "tadpole physa", is a species of small, left-handed
or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family
Physidae. The shells of Physella species have a long and large aperture, a pointed spire, and no
operculum. The shells are thin and corneous and rather transparent.

Fig: Physa gyrina

Morphometry

1- Morphometry of Physa acuta

Shell thin to thick, number of whorls 3, , shell light horny yellowish, shell oval shape, apex
sinistral, shallow suture, aperture very large about 3/4 of shell height, shell surface longitudinally
striated. Shell height is 8.10-10.06 (9.00±0.17) and Shell width is 4.60-5.71 (5.18±0.09).

2- Morphometry of physa fontinalis

A Small yellow brown shell, mean hight 9.20, Mean diameter 5.70, hight/Diameter 1.61,
Aperture hight 6.41, N number of Whorls 4, Shell coiling Sinistral,shape Succiniformes and
Shell coiling is Sinistral.

2- Morphometry of Physa gyrina

Shell thin to thick, number of whorls 3, , shell light brown,nsmooth, translucent, , shell sinistral
a inflated, , last whorl large, aperture about 55-75 per cent of shell height, shape of shell oval to
round, aperture.