Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 3, 2026

Glyptophysa

Glyptophysa is a genus of medium-sized sinistral (left-handed) air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family of Planorbidae.

Last revised
Jul 3, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
695 w
Citations
24
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Glyptophysa
Glyptophysa novahollandica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superorder: Hygrophila
Family: Planorbidae
Subfamily: Miratestinae
Genus: Glyptophysa
Crosse, 18721
Type species
Physa petiti Crosse, 1872
Synonyms2
  • Glyptamoda Iredale, 1943; junior synonym
  • Lenameria Iredale, 1943; junior synonym
  • Oppletora Iredale, 1943; superseded rank
  • Physa (Physastra) Tapparone Canefri; junior synonym
  • Physastra Tapparone Canefri, 1883; junior synonym
  • Tasmadora Iredale, 1943

Glyptophysa is a genus of medium-sized sinistral (left-handed) air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family of Planorbidae.2

Description

Shells are medium-sized, smooth and globose to elongate. Shells of Glyptophysa are always sinistral. "Members of the genus possess a twist or fold on the columella, a feature lacking in Isidorella and Physella. Whorls round or carinate."3

Distribution

Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Moluccas, Philippines, Sumatra, islands of South Pacific east to Tahiti, and Malaysia (introduced).3

Habitat and ecology

Often found on water weeds, submerged wood, rocks, gravel and sand in ponds, billabongs, swamps, and sluggish streams and rivers(both still and flowing). Occasionally on mud. "Feeds on algae and detritus."3 Glyptophysa snails are grazers-scrapers.

Species

Species in this genus include:2

  • Glyptophysa albertisi (Clessin, 1886)
  • Glyptophysa aliciae (Reeve, 1862)45
  • Glyptophysa caledonica (Morelet, 1857)
  • Glyptophysa cyphus (van Benthem Jutting, 1963)
  • Glyptophysa doopi (Prashad, 1921)
  • Glyptophysa esau (B. Rensch, 1934)
  • Glyptophysa fulgata (van Benthem Jutting, 1963)
  • Glyptophysa georgiana (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) – King George's Freshwater Snail67
  • Glyptophysa hispida (Morelet, 1857)
  • Glyptophysa jukesii (H. Adams, 1861)89
  • Glyptophysa keysseri (Kobelt, 1913)
  • Glyptophysa moluccensis (R. P. Lesson, 1831)
  • Glyptophysa nasuta (Morelet, 1857)
  • Glyptophysa novahollandica (Bowdich, 1822)1011
  • Glyptophysa novoguineae (Clessin, 1886)
  • Glyptophysa obtusa (Morelet, 1857)
  • Glyptophysa oconnori (Cumber, 1941)7
  • Glyptophysa ovalina (E. von Martens, 1897)
  • Glyptophysa petiti (Crosse 1872) – type species12
  • †Glyptophysa rodingae (McMichael, 1968)
  • †Glyptophysa sinensis L. -S. Huang, 1987
  • Glyptophysa proteus (Sowerby, 1873) – tentatively placed here
  • Glyptophysa stagnalis (E. von Martens, 1897)
  • Glyptophysa sumatrana (E. von Martens, 1897)
  • Glyptophysa toxopei (van Benthem Jutting, 1963)
  • Glyptophysa vandiemenensis (G. B. Sowerby II, 1873)1314
  • Glyptophysa variabilis (J. E. Gray, 1843)15
  • Glyptophysa vestita (Tapparone Canefri, 1883)
  • Glyptophysa wilhelminae (van Benthem Jutting, 1963)

Species brought into synonymy

  • Glyptophysa badia (A. Adams & Angas, 1864); accepted as G. novahollandica (Bowdich, 1822)11
  • †Glyptophysa carinata Youluo, 1978; unaccepted
  • Glyptophysa gibbosa (A. A. Gould, 1846)7; accepted as G. novahollandica. (Bowdich, 1822)11 (Some sources accept this species as valid).2
  • †Glyptophysa micra Yuoluo, 1978; unaccepted
  • Glyptophysa novaehollandica; accepted as G. novahollandica (Bowdich, 1822) (misspelling)
  • Glyptophysa pyramidata (G. B. Sowerby II, 1873); accepted as G. gibbosa (A. A. Gould, 1847)
  • Glyptophysa rezvoji Lindholm, 1929; accepted as Culmenella rezvoji (Lindholm, 1929)

Subgenera

  • Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) Crosse, 1872; alternative representation
  • Glyptophysa (Oppletora) Iredale, 1943; alternative representation
References

References

  1. Crosse J. C. H. (1872). J. Conchyliol. 20: 151.
  2. Bouchet, Philippe (2017). "Glyptophysa Crosse, 1872". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  3. "Glyptophysa – fact sheet". keys.lucidcentral.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  4. "Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) aliciae". Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  5. "Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) aliciae – fact sheet". keys.lucidcentral.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  6. Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) georgiana Archived 21 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  7. IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  8. Glyptophysa (Oppletora) jukesii Archived 20 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Glyptophysa (Oppletora) jukesii – fact sheet". keys.lucidcentral.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  10. "Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) novaehollandica". Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  11. "Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) novaehollandica – fact sheet". keys.lucidcentral.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  12. Walker J. C. (1988). "Classification of Australian buliniform planorbids (Mollusca: Pulmonata)". Records of the Australian Museum 40: 61-89. PDF. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.40.1988.151
  13. Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) vandiemenensis Archived 20 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Glyptophysa (Glyptophysa) vandiemenensis – fact sheet". keys.lucidcentral.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  15. Moore, S. (2013). "Glyptophysa variabilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013 e.T198830A2539522. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T198830A2539522.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
External links