Melanopsis letourneuxi

Melanopsis letourneuxi is a species of freshwater gastropod^[1] endemic to streams in coastal Morocco and Algeria.

Melanopsis letourneuxi
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Superfamily:	Cerithioidea
Family:	Melanopsidae
Genus:	Melanopsis
Species:	M. letourneuxi
Binomial name
Melanopsis letourneuxi Bourguignat, 1880

Distribution, ecology and threats

Melanopsis letourneuxi is found almost exclusively in relatively shallow medium-sized streams with stony substrates, rarely occurring in stagnant sources. The species had historically been reported from several localities in north Africa, including a site in Algeria or (disputedly) Morocco - "in the source and the river Moulouya, west of Maghnia"^[1] from which it has not been documented recently- and two confirmed adjacent Moroccan sites -Berguent and Ras el Ain at Aïn Beni Mathar - in which it is exceedingly rare. Remaining populations are threatened by water abstraction, pollution, and shell-collecting.^[2]

Populations

Historically, several varieties (excluding the nominal var.) had been identified by Pallary and Bourguignat, including:^[3]

• † Melanopsis letourneuxi var. semesa
• Melanopsis letourneuxi var. magna (Berguent at Aïn Beni Mathar)*
• Melanopsis letourneuxi var. minor (Ras el Aïn at Aïn Beni Mathar)*
• Melanopsis letourneuxi var. emaciata (Berguent at Aïn Beni Mathar)
• Melanopsis letourneuxi var. mattarica (Ras el Aïn at Aïn Beni Mathar)

† Denotes that the variety is not mentioned by the nomenclator of Neubauer 2016

*Denotes that the variety is considered invalid by the nomenclator of Neubauer 2016