Two new phreatic snails (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Cochliopidae) from the Edwards and Edwards-Trinity aquifers, Texas

By

Perez, Kathryn
Guerrero, Yamileth
Castaneda, Roel
Diaz, Peter
Gibson, Randy
Schwartz, Benjamin
Hutchins, Benjamin

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

47

Pages

1--27

Subjects

Cave snails , Edwards Trinity Aquifer System , Groundwater , hyporheic , phreatic , Spring

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.47.113186

 

Abstract

The Edwards and Edwards-Trinity Aquifers of Texas have diverse stygofauna, including fifteen species of snails found in phreatic and hyporheic habitats. These species have the hallmarks of adaptation to subterranean environments including extremely small body size and the loss of pigmentation and eyes. Here we use an integrative taxonomic approach, using shell, radula, and anatomical features as well as mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data, to circumscribe a new genus and two new cavesnail species from Central Texas. Vitropyrgus lillianaegen. et sp. nov. is described from Comal Springs (Comal County) and Fessenden Springs (Kerr County) and distinguished by a glassy, highly sculptured shell and distinctively simple, unornamented penial morphology. We also describe Phreatodrobia bullasp. nov. from Hidden Springs (Bell County), and several other springs in Bell & Williamson Counties, Texas. This species has a smooth, unsculptured teleoconch, a reflected and flared lip, and deeply concave operculum.