Glyptophysa

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

Glyptophysa
Glyptophysa novaehollandica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Superorder:	Hygrophila
Family:	Planorbidae
Subfamily:	Miratestinae
Genus:	Glyptophysa Crosse, 1872[1]
Type species
Physa petiti Crosse, 1872
Synonyms
Glyptamoda Iredale, 1943 Lenameria Iredale, 1943 Mutalena Iredale, 1944 Physastra Tapparone Canefri, 1883 Tasmadora Iredale, 1943

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.^{[citation needed]}

Species

Species in this genus include:^[4]

• Glyptophysa aliciae Reeve, 1862^[5][6]
• Glyptophysa badia (Adams and Angas, 1864) (now treated as a synonym of G. novaehollandica)^[7]
• Glyptophysa georgiana (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) – King George's Freshwater Snail^[8][9]
• Glyptophysa gibbosa (Gould, 1846)^[9] (now treated as a synonym of G. novaehollandica)^[7]
• Glyptophysa jukesii (H.Adams, 1861)^[10][11]
• Glyptophysa novaehollandica (Bowdich, 1822)^[12][7]
• Glyptophysa oconnori Cumber, 1941^[9]
• Glyptophysa petiti (Crosse 1872) – type species^[13]
• Glyptophysa proteus (Sowerby, 1873) – tentatively placed here^{[citation needed]}
• Glyptophysa vandiemenensis (Sowerby, 1873)^[14][15]
• Glyptophysa variabilis (Gray, 1843)^[16]