{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}

{{Speciesbox | image = Paramelania damoni shell.png | image_caption = Drawing of an apertural view of a shell of ''Paramelania damoni'' from its original description by Smith (1881)<ref name="Smith 1881"/> | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 17 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Nicayenzi, F. |date=2010 |title=''Paramelania damoni'' |volume=2010 |article-number=e.T16125A5393901 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T16125A5393901.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Paramelania damoni | authority = (E. A. Smith, 1881)<ref name="Smith 1881">Smith E. A. (1881). "Descriptions of two new Species of Shells from Lake Tanganyika". ''Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London'' '''1881''': [https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofgen81zool#page/558/mode/1up 558]-560.</ref> | synonyms_ref = <ref name="Smith 1881"/><ref name="Brown 1994"/> | synonyms = * ''Tiphobia'' (''Paramelania'') ''damoni'' Smith, 1881 * ''Paramelania crassigranulata'' Smith, 1881 }}

'''''Paramelania damoni''''' is a species of tropical freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Paludomidae.

The specific name ''damoni'' is in honor of Robert Damon from Weymouth, who collected the type specimen.<ref name="Smith 1881"/><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.britishshellclub.org/pages/pallid-past/200610_pallidula.pdf |title=Robert Damon's Shell Collection |last=Dance |first=S. Peter |quote=His name also survives in the scientific names given to several invertebrate species, recent and fossil, including the volute now known as ''Amoria damonii'' Gray, and ''Paramelania damoni'' Smith, a freshwater gastropod from Lake Tanganyika. |journal=Pallidula |volume=36 |number=2 |page=9 |date=October 2006 |access-date=8 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215025900/http://www.britishshellclub.org/pages/pallid-past/200610_pallidula.pdf |archive-date=15 December 2017 }}</ref>

== Distribution == The distribution of this species includes Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.<ref name="iucn status 17 November 2021" />

The type locality is Lake Tanganyika.<ref name="Brown 1994"/>

== Description == ''Paramelania damoni'' was originally described by Edgar Albert Smith in 1881.<ref name="Smith 1881"/> Smith's original text (the type description) reads as follows:

{{quote|''Paramelania damoni''.

Shell solid, imperforate, ovate turreted, white, covered with an olive-brown epidermis, prettily sculptured with fine yet distinct wavy lines of increment, and more or less distinct transverse impressed striae. Whorls 10, very concave at the upper part, the concavity occupying about one third of the whorl; concavity smooth, merely exhibiting the epidermal sculpture; rest of the whorls coarsely plicated and spirally ridged. Plicae rather acute, about 12 in number on the penultimate whorl, a little oblique on the last, and becoming obsolete about the middle. Spiral lirae rather slender, equal, continuous on and between the plicae; 4 upon the upper volutions, and about 14 on the last. The uppermost, which defines the upper end of the costae, is produced into very short hollow scales or spines upon the ribs; and the second and sometimes the third have the same character in a less marked degree. Aperture obliquely ovate, occupying about half the length of the shell, covered with a slight callus deposit far within, not quite obscuring the external coloration. Outer lip somewhat expanded, much thickened within, white, concave above, arcuate at the side. Base also thickened and, together with the lower extremity of the whorl, forming a broad, retroverted, and very short cauda. Upper end of labrum joined to the base by a rather thick defined callosity, which spreads over the body-whorl within the mouth.

Length 35 millim., diam. above the aperture 16; aperture 15 long, 9 broad.

Operculum black, closing the aperture, but at some distance from the peristome.}}

The width of the shell is 28&nbsp;mm.<ref name="Brown 1994"/> The height of the shell is 37&nbsp;mm.<ref name="Brown 1994"/>

left|thumb|Drawing of an apertural view of a shell described as ''Paramelania crassigranulata''. ''Paramelania crassigranulata''was recognized as a form of ''Paramelania damoni'' by Brown (1994).<ref name="Brown 1994"/> ''Paramelania crassigranulata'' was recognized as a form of this species by Brown (1994).<ref name="Brown 1994">Brown D. S. (1994). ''Freshwater Snails of Africa and their Medical Importance''. Taylor & Francis. {{ISBN|0-7484-0026-5}}.</ref>

== Ecology == This snail lives in Lake Tanganyika in depths 1.5–65 m.<ref name="Brown 1994"/> It lives on the bottom consisting of fine sediment, rocks or sand.<ref name="Brown 1994"/>

== References == This article incorporates public domain text from the references<ref name="Smith 1881"/> {{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3318100}}

Category:Paludomidae Category:Gastropods described in 1881 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot