Physella

{{Short description|Genus of gastropods}} {{Automatic_taxobox | image = Physa acuta 001.JPG | image_caption = A live individual of ''Physella acuta'' | taxon = Physella | authority = Haldeman, 1842<ref>Haldeman, S. S. 1842-1847. ''A monograph of the freshwater univalve Mollusca of the United States, including notices of species in other parts of North America''. pp. [9 parts], [40 plates]. Philadelphia.</ref> }}

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

These snails eat algae, diatoms and other detritus.

==Shell description== 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 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.

==Species== Species in the genus include:

* ''Physella acuta'' (Draparnaud, 1805) - Pewter Physa,<ref name="NatureServe"/> type species, synonyms: ''Physella heterostropha'' (Say, 1817), ''Physella integra'' (Haldeman, 1841)<ref name="Dillon">Dillon R. T., Wethington A. R., Rhett J. M. & Smith T. P. (2002). "Populations of the European freshwater pulmonate ''Physa acuta'' are not reproductively isolated from American ''Physa heterostopha'' or ''Physa integra''". ''Invertebrate Biology'' '''121''': 226-234.</ref> * ''Physella ancillaria'' (Say, 1825) * ''Physella bermudezi'' (Aguayo, 1935) - Lowdome Physa<ref name="NatureServe">"''Physella''". NatureServe Explorer, accessed 9 April 2010.</ref> * ''Physella bottimeri'' (Clench, 1924) - Comanche Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella boucardi'' (Crosse & P. Fischer, 1881) - Desert Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella columbiana'' (Hemphill, 1890) - Rotund Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella conoidea'' (P. Fischer & Crosse, 1886) - Texas Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella cooperi'' (Tryon, 1865) - Olive Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella costata'' (Newcomb, 1861) - Ornate Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella cubensis'' (Pfeiffer, 1839) * ''Physella globosa'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Globose Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella gyrina'' (Say, 1821) * ''Physella hendersoni'' (Clench, 1925) * ''Physella hordacea'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Grain Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella humerosa'' (Gould, 1855) - Corkscrew Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella johnsoni'' (Clench, 1926) - Banff Springs Snail<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella lordi'' (Baird, 1863) - Twisted Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella magnalacustris'' (Walker, 1901) * ''Physella mexicana'' (Philippi, 1841) - Polished Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella microstriata'' (Chamberlin & E. G. Berry, 1930) * ''Physella natricina'' Taylor, 1988 * ''Physella osculans'' (Haldeman, 1841) - Cayuse Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella parkeri'' (Currier, 1881) - Broadshoulder Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella propinqua'' (Tryon, 1865) - Rocky Mountain Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella sayi'' * ''Physella spelunca'' (Turner & Clench, 1974) * ''Physella squalida'' (Morelet, 1851) - Squalid Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella traski'' (I. Lea, 1864) - Sculpted Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella utahensis'' (Clench, 1925) * ''Physella vinosa'' (Gould, 1847) - Banded Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella virgata'' (Gould, 1855) * ''Physella virginea'' (Gould, 1847) - Sunset Physa<ref name="NatureServe"/> * ''Physella winnipegensis'' ..., 2004<ref name="Visaya 1 2">(2004) ''Visaya'' [http://www.conchology.be/?t=53&u=100001 '''1'''(2)].</ref> * ''Physella wrighti'' Te & Clarke, 1985 * ''Physella zionis'' (Pilsbry, 1926)

== See also == * ''Physa''

==References== {{Reflist}}

Physella Category:Taxa named by Samuel Stehman Haldeman Category:Sinistral (left-coiled) gastropods