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Volume 14, Number 11—November 2008
Letter

Establishment of Biomphalaria tenagophila Snails in Europe

Gábor Majoros1, Zoltán Fehér, Tamás Deli, and Gábor Földvári1Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: Szent István University Faculty of Veterinary Science, Budapest, Hungary (G. Majoros, G. Földvári); Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest (Z. Fehér); Munkácsy Mihály Museum, Békéscsaba, Hungary (T. Deli);

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Figure

A) Shell morphology of Biomphalaria tenagophila snail from Romania. Diameter of the shell was 10–14 mm. The sinistrally coiled, flat shells are yellow-brown, discoidal, deeply and symmetrically biconcave, and consist of 5 or 6 slowly increasing whorls. The last whorl is rounded; the intermediate whorls are slightly angled on the left side. The aperture is circular or slightly ovate and angled toward the left side of the shell (i.e., toward the upper surface on the bottom right shell). Fine, parallel, rib-like transverse lines can be seen on the outer surface of the whorls. A series of photographs were prepared by focusing on different levels of the structure and these were combined by CombineZ5 (www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk), using “do combine” and “do average and filter” commands. Scale bar = 3 mm. B) Reproductive system of B. tenagophila snail from Romania; ag, albumin gland; bc, bursa copulatrix; hp, distal part of the hepatopancreas; ng, nidamental gland; od, oviduct; ot, ovotestis; pp, preputium; pr, prostate; ps, penis sheath; sd, spermiduct; sv, seminal vesicles; vd, vas deferens; vp, vaginal pouch. B. tenagophila–specific characteristics (5): >200 diverticulae of the ovotestis; 7–11 main lobes of the prostate; and presence of vaginal pouch. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure. A) Shell morphology of Biomphalaria tenagophila snail from Romania. Diameter of the shell was 10–14 mm. The sinistrally coiled, flat shells are yellow-brown, discoidal, deeply and symmetrically biconcave, and consist of 5 or 6 slowly increasing whorls. The last whorl is rounded; the intermediate whorls are slightly angled on the left side. The aperture is circular or slightly ovate and angled toward the left side of the shell (i.e., toward the upper surface on the bottom right shell). Fine, parallel, rib-like transverse lines can be seen on the outer surface of the whorls. A series of photographs were prepared by focusing on different levels of the structure and these were combined by CombineZ5 (www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk), using “do combine” and “do average and filter” commands. Scale bar = 3 mm. B) Reproductive system of B. tenagophila snail from Romania; ag, albumin gland; bc, bursa copulatrix; hp, distal part of the hepatopancreas; ng, nidamental gland; od, oviduct; ot, ovotestis; pp, preputium; pr, prostate; ps, penis sheath; sd, spermiduct; sv, seminal vesicles; vd, vas deferens; vp, vaginal pouch. B. tenagophila–specific characteristics (5): >200 diverticulae of the ovotestis; 7–11 main lobes of the prostate; and presence of vaginal pouch. Scale bar = 1 mm.

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1These authors contributed equally to this article.

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