Assiminea is a genus of minute, salt-tolerant snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks, or micromollusks, in the family Assimineidae.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Assiminea Fleming, 1828. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137681 on 29 April 2015
Distribution and habitat These snails can be found worldwide. They live usually in brackish water between tide-marks on the mud of estuaries and salt marshes of tropical and temperate regions, at beaches, in water and at land. But species are to be found both in perfectly salt and in perfectly fresh water.
Description These are very small to medium large snails, between 2 and 13 mm. Some adults do not exceed a size of 3 mm. Some related genera, such as Paludinella, are so remarkably similar in shell form that they are often confused.
The shape of the thin shells is somewhat ovately conical. The margin of the aperture is simple. The operculum is in most cases horny. The eyes are at the end of short, stout stalks. They feed on vegetable detritus and small algae. They lay their eggs in the mud, and hatch as free-swimming larvae.
Species According to the World Register of Marine Species, the following species with valid names are included within the genus Assiminea :
† Assiminea aldra Dall, 1915 Assiminea alveolata Viader, 1939 Assiminea aurifera Preston, 1912 Assiminea avilai van Aartsen, 2008 Assiminea blanfordi Abbott, 1958 Assiminea boettgeri Abbott, 1958 Assiminea cienegensis Hershler, H.-P. Liu & Lang, 2007 Assiminea cincta A. Adams, 1861 (taxon inquirendum) Assiminea compacta (Carpenter, 1864) Assiminea cornea (Leith, 1853) (taxon inquirendum) † Assiminea costata D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982 † Assiminea crassa D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982 (accepted > unreplaced junior homonym) Assiminea crassitesta O. Boettger, 1893 Assiminea dubiosa (C.B. Adams, 1852) Assiminea eliae Paladilhe, 1875 (taxon inquirendum) Assiminea estuarina Habe, 1946 Assiminea fasciata (F. Krauss, 1848) Assiminea geayi Lamy, 1910 Assiminea gittenbergeri van Aartsen, 2008 Assiminea glaubrechti van Aartsen, 2008 Assiminea globulus Connoly, 1939 Assiminea grayana Fleming, 1828 † Assiminea guangdongensis H.-J. Wang, 1982 Assiminea habei Abbott, 1958 Assiminea hessei O. Boettger, 1887 Assiminea hiradoensis Habe, 1942 Assiminea hungerfordiana G. Nevill, 1880 (taxon inquirendum) † Assiminea isoceles Connolly, 1939 Assiminea japonica Martens, 1877 Assiminea keniana D. S. Brown, 1980 Assiminea kurodai Habe, 1942 † Assiminea latiovata S.-Z. Guan, 1987 Assiminea lugubris Turton, 1932 Assiminea lutea (A. Adams, 1861) † Assiminea magna D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1985 Assiminea marginata (Leith, 1853) Assiminea melanesica I. Rensch, 1937 Assiminea mesopotamica Glöer, Naser & Yasser, 2007 † Assiminea mirabilis D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982 Assiminea moroccoensis Rolán, 2013 Assiminea morrisoni Abbott, 1958 Assiminea navigatorum Benthem Jutting, 1963 Assiminea occulta Rolán, 2013 † Assiminea ovata D.-M. Zeng & J.-M. Hu, 1982 (accepted > unreplaced junior homonym) Assiminea ovata (Krauss, 1848) Assiminea palauensis Thiele, 1927 Assiminea parasitologica Kuroda, 1958 Assiminea parvula (Mousson, 1865) Assiminea parvula Morelet, 1877 (accepted > unreplaced junior homonym) Assiminea peaseana G. Nevill, 1880 (taxon inquirendum) Assiminea pecos D.W. Taylor, 1987 (pecos assiminea) Assiminea ponsonbyi Morelet, 1889 Assiminea possietica Golikov & Kussakin in Golikov & Scarlato, 1967 † Assiminea pressoopercula H.-J. Wang, 1980 Assiminea principensis Rolán, 2013 Assiminea punctum Morelet, 1882 † Assiminea retopercula H.-J. Wang, 1977 Assiminea rolani van Aartsen, 2008 Assiminea rotunda W. T. Blanford, 1867 (taxon inquirendum) Assiminea saotomensis Rolán, 2013 Assiminea savesi (Crosse, 1888) Assiminea schlickumi Brandt, 1974 Assiminea schuetti Brandt, 1974 Assiminea semilirata O. Boettger, 1893 Assiminea senegalensis Rolán, 2013 Assiminea sinensis Nevill, 1880 † Assiminea skyensis F. W. Anderson & L. R. Cox, 1948 † Assiminea striatura D. A. Bullis, Herhold, Czekanski-Moir, Grimaldi & Rundell, 2020 Assiminea subconica (Leith, 1853) (taxon inquirendum) Assiminea subcylindrica I. Rensch, 1937 Assiminea subeffusa O. Boettger, 1887 Assiminea templeana G. Nevill, 1880 (taxon inquirendum) † Assiminea tergestina Stache, 1889 Assiminea theobaldiana Nevill, 1880 Assiminea thielei Abbott, 1958 Assiminea translucens (Carpenter, 1864) Assiminea umlaasiana (E.A. Smith, 1902) † Assiminea waitemata Laws, 1950 Assiminea woodmasoniana G. Nevill, 1880 Assiminea yoshidayukioi Kuroda, 1959 Assiminea zilchi Brandt, 1974 Assiminea zubairensis Glöer & Naser, 2013
The Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database also includes the following species with names in current use : Assiminea interrupta Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1905 (uncertain > unassessed)
The database ITIS also mentions the following species : Assiminea auberiana Orbigny, 1842
Synonyms Assiminea affinis Böttger, 1887: synonym of Taiwanassiminea affinis (Böttger, 1887) Assiminea affinis Mousson, 1874: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Assiminea andrewsiana E. A. Smith, 1900: synonym of Angustassiminea andrewsiana (E. A. Smith, 1900) (original combination) Assiminea angustata Pilsbry, 1901: synonym of Ansola angustata (Pilsbry, 1901) Assiminea antipodum Filhol, 1880 : synonym of Laevilitorina antipodum (Filhol, 1880) Assiminea australis Petterd, 1889: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Assiminea australis Thiele, 1927: synonym of Assiminea brevicula (Pfeiffer, 1855) Assiminea bedaliensis Rensch, 1934: synonym of Taiwanassiminea bedaliensis (Rensch, 1934) Assiminea beddomiana Nevill, 1881: synonym of Assiminea beddomeana G. Nevill, 1880 synonym of Austropilula beddomeana (G. Nevill, 1880) (misspelling) Assiminea bella Kuroda, 1958: synonym of Assiminea hiradoensis T. Habe, 1942 Assiminea bicincta Petterd, 1889: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Assiminea bifasciata Nevill, 1880: synonym of Assiminea ovata (Krauss, 1848) Assiminea brevicula (Pfeiffer, 1854): synonym of Optediceros breviculum (Pfeiffer, 1855) Assiminea buccinoides (Quoy and Gaimard, 1834): synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Assiminea caledonica (Crosse, 1869): synonym of Crossilla caledonica (Crosse, 1869) Assiminea californica (Tryon, 1865): California assiminea : synonym of Angustassiminea californica (Tryon, 1865) Assiminea capensis Bartsch, 1915: synonym of Assiminea ovata (Krauss, 1848) Assiminea carinata I. Lea, 1856: synonym of Cyclotropis carinata (I. Lea, 1856) (original combination) Assiminea castanea Westerlund, 1883: synonym of Angustassiminea castanea (Westerlund, 1883) † Assiminea conoidea von Koenen, 1882 : synonym of † Peringia conoidea (von Koenen, 1882) (new combination) † Assiminea contracta Cossmann, 1888 : synonym of † Peringia contracta (Cossmann, 1888) (new combination) Assiminea corpulenta van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Paludinella corpulenta (van Benthem Jutting, 1963) (original combination) † Assiminea crassa Etheridge, 1879: synonym of † Littoridina crassa (Etheridge, 1879) (new combination) Assiminea creutzbergi De Jong & Coomans, 1988: synonym of Barleeia creutzbergi (De Jong & Coomans, 1988) † Assiminea distinguenda Cossmann, 1899: synonym of † Peringia distinguenda (Cossmann, 1899) (new combination) Assiminea dohrniana G. Nevill, 1880: synonym of Ovassiminea dohrniana (G. Nevill, 1880) (original combination) † Assiminea eburnoides Cossmann, 1888: synonym of † Emmericia eburnoides (Cossmann, 1888) (new combination) † Assiminea elatior Cossmann, 1907: synonym of † Lapparentia elatior (Cossmann, 1907) (new combination) Assiminea gerhardtae De Jong & Coomans, 1988: synonym of Caelatura gerhardtae (De Jong & Coomans, 1988) † Assiminea gottscheana von Koenen, 1882: synonym of † Peringia gottscheana (von Koenen, 1882) (new combination) Assiminea granum Morelet, 1882: synonym of Paludinella hidalgoi f. granum (Morelet, 1882) (original combination) Assiminea hayasii Habe, 1942: synonym of Taiwanassiminea hayasii (Habe, 1942) Assiminea hidalgoi (Gassies, 1869): synonym of Paludinella hidalgoi (Gassies, 1869) (superseded combination) Assiminea infima Berry, 1947 (badwater snail): synonym of Angustassiminea infima (S. S. Berry, 1947) (original combination) Assiminea knysnaensis (F. Krauss, 1848): synonym of Hydrobia knysnaensis (Krauss, 1848) (superseded combination) Assiminea kushimotoensis Kuroda, 1958: synonym of Angustassiminea castanea (Westerlund, 1883) Assiminea latericea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1864: synonym of Pseudomphala latericea (H. Adams & A. Adams, 1864) (original combination) Assiminea lentula van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Taiwanassiminea lentula (van Benthem Jutting, 1963) Assiminea leptodonta Connolly, 1922: synonym of Eussoia leptodonta (Connolly, 1922) (correction of original combination) Assiminea lirata Turton, 1932: synonym of Tomichia tristis (Morelet, 1889) (junior synonym) Assiminea littorina (Delle Chiaje, 1828) sensu Philippi, 1841: synonym of Paludinella globularis (Hanley in Thorpe, 1844) Assiminea lucida Pease, 1869: synonym of Angustassiminea lucida (Pease, 1869) (original combination) Assiminea microsculpta Nevill, 1880: synonym of Sculptassiminea microsculpta (Nevill, 1880) (original combination) Assiminea miniata Martens, 1866: synonym of Assiminea brevicula (Pfeiffer, 1855): synonym of Optediceros breviculum (Pfeiffer, 1855) (junior synonym) Assiminea miyazakii Habe, 1943: synonym of Pseudomphala miyazakii (Habe, 1943) (original combination) † Assiminea nicolasi ROman, 1912: synonym of † Hydrobia nicolasi (Roman, 1912) (new combination) Assiminea nitida (Pease, 1865): this species belongs to the genus Paludinella as has been demonstrated by Thiele (1927, p. 128), because of a different dentition and an open umbilicus: synonym of Angustassiminea nitida (Pease, 1865) Assiminea ostiorum Bavay, 1920: synonym of Assiminea grayana J. Fleming, 1828 Assiminea pagodella Hedley, 1903: synonym of Ascorhis victoriae (Tenison-Woods, 1878) Assiminea philippinica Boettger, 1887: synonym of Metassiminea philippinica (Boettger, 1887) (basionym) Assiminea queenslandica Thiele, 1927: synonym of Taiwanassiminea affinis (Böttger, 1887) Assiminea recta Mousson, 1874: synonym of Peringia ulvae (Pennant, 1777) Assiminea relata Cotton, 1942; synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Assiminea riparia van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Taiwanassiminea riparia (van Benthem Jutting, 1963) Assiminea rubella Blanford, 1867: synonym of Assiminea brevicula (Pfeiffer, 1855): synonym of Optediceros breviculum (Pfeiffer, 1855) (junior synonym) Assiminea rufostrigata Hesse, 1916: synonym of Pontiturboella rufostrigata (Hesse, 1916) Assiminea satsumana Habe, 1942: synonym of Angustassiminea satsumana (Habe, 1942) (original combination) Assiminea septentrionalis Habe, 1942: synonym of Assiminea japonica E. von Martens, 1877 Assiminea sororcula van Benthem Jutting, 1963: synonym of Taiwanassiminea sororcula (van Benthem Jutting, 1963) † Assiminea stenochora Cossmann, 1888: synonym of † Lapparentia stenochora (Cossmann, 1888) (new combination) Assiminea succinea (Pfeiffer, 1840) : Atlantic assiminea : synonym of Angustassiminea succinea (L. Pfeiffer, 1840) Assiminea tasmanica Tenison-Woods, 1876: synonym of Cryptassiminea buccinoides (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Assiminea tyttha Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897: synonym of Hydrocena noticola Benson, 1856 Assiminea violacea Heude, 1882: synonym of Euassiminea violacea (Heude, 1882) (superseded combination) Assiminea vulgaris (Webster, 1905): synonym of Angustassiminea vulgaris (W. H. Webster, 1905) (superseded combination)
References