Peringia ulvae

{{Short description|Species of gastropod}} {{Speciesbox | image = Peringia_ulvae_01.JPG | image_caption = Shell | taxon = Peringia ulvae | authority = (Pennant, 1777)<ref name="Pennant 1777">Pennant T. (1777). [http://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?PPN578030950 ''British zoology. Vol. IV. Crustacea. Mollusca. Testacea'']. pp. 1-3, iii-viii, 1-10, 1-154, Plates 1-93. London, White. page 132.</ref> | synonyms_ref = <ref name="WoRMS" /><ref name="AB"/> | synonyms = {{hidden begin|title = List}} * ''Assiminea recta'' Mousson, 1874 (dubious synonym) * ''Hydrobia ulvae'' (Pennant, 1777) * ''Hydrobia ulvae'' var. ''albida'' Jeffreys, 1867 * ''Paludestrina bucheti'' Mabille, 1898 (dubious synonym) * ''Peringia castroi'' Locard, 1899 * ''Peringia cyclolabris'' Bourguignat, 1876 * ''Peringia lusitanica'' Locard, 1899 * ''Peringia paulinoi'' Locard, 1899 * ''Rissoa barleei'' Jeffreys, 1847 * ''Turbo subumbilicatus'' Montagu, 1803 * ''Turbo ulvæ'' Pennant, 1777 {{hidden end}} }}

'''''Peringia ulvae''''', commonly known as the '''Laver spire shell '''or mudsnail, is a European species of very small aquatic snail with gills and an operculum, a gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae.<ref name="WoRMS">Gofas, S. (2010). ''Hydrobia ulvae'' (Pennant, 1777). In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140126 on 2010-11-27.</ref>

This is arguably a marine snail, but it is often also listed as a non-marine species because it tolerates brackish water and lives in salt marshes and similar habitats.

''Peringia ulvae'' is the type species of the genus ''Peringia''.<ref>[http://www.animalbase.uni-goettingen.de/zooweb/servlet/AnimalBase/home/genus?id=977 "Genus summary for ''Peringia''"]. AnimalBase, last modified 16 August 2006, accessed 16 September 2011.</ref>

==Distribution== This species occurs on the coasts of the Baltic Sea, the White Sea<ref>Горбушин А. М. О видовом составе моллюсков рода ''Hydrobia'' (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia) в Белом море //Зоол. журн. – 1993. – Т. 71. – №. 9. – С. 47-56.</ref> the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean Sea,<ref name="AB"/> (the Mediterranean records may be in error) <ref>Giusti, F., Manganelli, G. & Schembri, P. J. (1995) ''The non-marine molluscs of the Maltese Islands''. Monografie XV, Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino</ref> including:

* Great Britain * Ireland * The Netherlands

The type locality is "on the shores of Flintshire", Wales, United Kingdom.<ref name="Pennant 1777"/> The distribution type is Oceanic Wide Temperate

thumb|left|Shells of ''P. ulvae'' left|thumb|The engraving of a shell of ''Peringia ulvae'' from its original description (1777) was very small

== Description == This species was originally described by Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant in 1777.<ref name="Pennant 1777"/> Pennant's original text (the type description) reads as follows:<ref name="Pennant 1777"/>

{{Cquote| ''Ulvae''.

T. with four spires, the first ventricose; of a deep brown color; aperture oval. Size of a grain of wheat. Tab. lxxxvi. fig. 120. Inhabits ''Ulva Lactuca'' on the shores of Flintshire. }}

"T." is an abbreviated word ''testa'' from Latin language, that means "shell".

The shell is often heavily corroded, usually whitish with brown peristome present on the last whorl.<ref name="AB"/> The shell has 5-7 very weakly convex whorls, that are regularly increasing but not always regularly rounded.<ref name="AB"/> The lip is attached to the last whorl.<ref name="AB"/>

The width of the shell is 2.5–3 mm.<ref name="AB"/> The height of the shell is 4-5.5 mm.<ref name="AB"/>

==Habitat== thumb|A number of individuals of ''Peringia ulvae'' on mud ''Peringia ulvae'' is a widespread and abundant member of the benthic fauna of estuarine habitats and coastal brackish and salt waters.<ref name="Brownlow 2008"/><ref name="AB"/> It is very common in brackish water and saltwater, in estuaries and salt marshes.<ref name="AB"/> It is most common in the upper half of the intertidal zone.<ref name="AB"/> It tolerates salinity 1.0-3.3 %.<ref name="AB"/>

''Peringia ulvae'' seems to prefer more exposed localities with less vegetation than the mudsnails ''Ecrobia ventrosa'' and ''Hydrobia neglecta''.<ref name="AB"/>

''Peringia ulvae'' feeds on detritus and it also consumes seaweeds directly.<ref name="AB"/>

It is pederictional dioecious with sexes being easily identified through dissection.<ref name="Brownlow 2008"/> On the west coast of Wales this species has peaks of spawning activity in spring and autumn and produces planktotrophic larvae (veliger)<ref>Fish J. D. & Fish S. (1977). "The veliger larva of ''Hydrobia ulvae'' with observations on the veliger of ''Littorina littorea'' (Mollusca: Prosobranchia)". ''Journal of Zoology'' '''182'''(4): 495-503. {{doi|10.1111/j.1469-7998.1977.tb04165.x}}.</ref> that remain in the plankton for up to four weeks before settlement.<ref name="Brownlow 2008"/> This period of development affords the potential for dispersal to new habitats and mixing with geographically separate populations.<ref name="Brownlow 2008"/> The species provides an interesting case for molecular analysis as the pelagic dispersal phase raises fascinating questions on gene flow, differentiation, recruitment, and inbreeding, but there remains the potential for self-recruitment of estuarine populations.<ref name="Brownlow 2008"/>

One of its natural predators is the Arctic barrel-bubble (''Retusa obtusa'').{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} In Ireland ''Peringia ulvae'' is an important source of food for overwintering waders.

==References== This article incorporates public domain text from references<ref name="AB">[http://www.animalbase.uni-goettingen.de/zooweb/servlet/AnimalBase/home/species?id=2191 "Species summary for ''Peringia ulvae''"]. AnimalBase, last modified 30 March 2009, accessed 16 September 2011.</ref><ref name="Pennant 1777"/> and CC-BY-2.0 text from the reference<ref name="Brownlow 2008">Brownlow R. J., Dawson D. A., Horsburgh G. J., Bell J. J. & Fish J. D. (2008). "A method for genotype validation and primer assessment in heterozygote-deficient species, as demonstrated in the prosobranch mollusc ''Hydrobia ulvae''". ''BMC Genetics'' '''9''': 55. {{doi|10.1186/1471-2156-9-55|doi-access=free}}.</ref> {{reflist}}

== Further reading == * Backeljau T. (1986). ''Lijst van de recente mariene mollusken van België [List of the recent marine molluscs of Belgium].'' Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen: Brussels, Belgium. 106 pp. * Fish J. D., Fish S. & Foley H. (2000). "The biology of mud snails with particular reference to ''Hydrobia ulvae''". In: British Saltmarshes. Sherwood B. R., Gardiner B. G. & Harris T. (eds.) London, Linnean Society: 165-179. * Gofas S., Le Renard J., Bouchet P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). ''European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification''. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213. * Haase M. (1993). "The genetic differentiation in three species of the genus ''Hydrobia'' and systematic implications (Caenogastropoda, Hydrobiidae)". ''Malacologia'' '''35''': 389-398. * Muller Y. (2004). ''Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory'']. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp. * Горбушин А. М. О видовом составе моллюсков рода Hydrobia (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia) в Белом море //Зоол. журн. – 1993. – Т. 71. – №. 9. – С. 47-56.

== External links == {{commons category|Peringia ulvae}} *[http://www.animalbase.uni-goettingen.de/zooweb/servlet/AnimalBase/home/species?id=2191 ''Peringia ulvae''] at Animalbase taxonomy, short description, distribution, biology, status * [http://www.habitas.org.uk/molluscireland/species.asp?ID=21 ''Peringia ulvae''] Species account and photograph at Mollusc Ireland. {{Taxonbar|from=Q220088}}

Category:Hydrobiidae Category:Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean Category:Gastropods described in 1777 Category:Taxa named by Thomas Pennant