Jagora asperata is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Pachychilidae. Jagora asperata is the type species of the genus Jagora.Köhler F. & Glaubrecht M. (2003). "Morphology, reproductive biology and molecular genetics of ovoviviparous freshwater gastropods (Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) from the Philippines, with description of the new genus Jagora". Zoologica Scripta 32(1): 35-59. .
Description
The shell of an adult Jagora asperata can be as long as and has a width of about . This shell is solid, dark brown to yellowish brown, highly tower–shaped, comprising up to twelve whorls. The apical whorl is truncated. The sculpture of the shell shows closely spaced axial ribs and spiral elements with tiny nodules.
The body of these snails is a brown-ish grey to black, with filiform antennae. They are characterized by a unique reproductive system, including a long sperm gutter, a very short a spermatophore bursa and a prominent lateral ridge working as a seminal receptacle. Females carry eggs and juvenile stages within their mantle cavity.
Ecology Most Jagora asperata spend their time buried under the substrate or hiding under rocks and other materials in day time and are more active at night. These snails omnivores, both feeding on decaying matter, detritus, and algae but as well as live plants near the waterline, or submerged underwater.
Human use This snail is used as a food source for humans in the Philippines, and is locally referred to as "Suso". It is not to be confused with Faunus ater, which is also referred to as Suso locally.
Distribution and habitat This species occurs in the northern part of the Philippines, on Luzon, Leyte Island, Samar Island and several other small islands.Köhler F. & Dames C. (2009). "Phylogeny and systematics of the Pachychilidae of mainland Southeast Asia – novel insights from morphology and mitochondrial DNA (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Cerithioidea)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157: 679-699. .
They live in stony creeks of montane regions, spending most of their time in the day buried underground or hiding under rocks and other material.
References
External links
Pachychilidae Jagora aperata at heimbiotop.de
Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base