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.[1]
| Jagora asperata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A shell of Jagora asperata from Philippines on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | incertae sedis |
| Family: | Pachychilidae |
| Genus: | Jagora |
| Species: | J. asperata |
| Binomial name | |
| Jagora asperata (Lamarck, 1822) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
edit
The shell of an adult Jagora asperata can be as long as 50–80 millimetres (2.0–3.1 in) and has a width of about 18 millimetres (0.71 in). 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
editMost 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 feed on detritus and algae, but also are quite herbivorous feeding on live plants near the waterline.
They live in mountain riverine habitats with sandy or stony bottoms.
Human use
editThis 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.
Distribution and habitat
editThis species occurs in the northern part of the Philippines, on Luzon, Leyte Island, Samar Island and several other small islands.[2]
References
edit- 1 2 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. doi:10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00100.x.
- ↑ 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. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00541.x.
External links
edit