Asolene

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Afropomus

Overview Afropomus Asolene Felipponea Lanistes Marisa Pila Pomacea Saulea

The new world genus Asolene (d'Orbigni, 1837) contains 7 species.
The type species is Asolene platae (described by Matin, 1809 as Helix platea). In the past, this genus was considered as a subgenus of Pomacea (Dall, 1904 and Hylton Scott 1943), but is now recognized as a seperate genus.
Depending of the authority followed, the snails from the genus Asolene are considered to belong to one genus with 2 sub-genera or to 2 seperated genera: Asolene (d'Orbigni, 1837) and Pomella (Gray, 1847). What these apple snails have in common are the medium to short siphon and their internal anatomy. At the other hand, the eggs in subgenus Asolene are aquatic, wereas those in Pomella are laid above the water. This observation supports two seperate genera instead one genus with two subgenera. Another option could be that Pomella should be added to the Pomacea genus. So the last word hasn't been said on this topic yet.
The shape and size of these snails differs a lot amongst the two subgenera as can be seen below.
The Asolene snails inhabit the rivers of Paraguay, Southeastern Brazil, the region in the Argentina-Brasil border and Uruguay.

Species

Subgenus Asolene
Asolene spixi
Asolene (Asolene) spixi.

 

Subgenus Pomella
Asolene
Asolene (Pomella) megastoma.

 

Characteristics of the genus Asolene:

Asolene

Asolene asolene

Shell: surface: smooth or malleated

Asolene

Asolene pomella

shape: egg-shaped, globose
direction: right (dextral)
whorls: round base with flat upper part
shell-opening (aperture): round base, pointed top
umbilicus: narrow to wide
colour: yellow to brown with faint spiral bands
Operculum: corneous
Body: head (cephalic) tentacles: medium (less then shell diameter)
labial tentacles: medium
breathing siphon: short to almost non-existing
colour: gray, often with dark patches and/or lighter spots.
Eggs: Subgenus Asolene: aquatic
Subgenus Pomella: above the waterline

 

 

 

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