• Source: Melanopsis letourneuxi

Melanopsis letourneuxi is a species of freshwater gastropod endemic to streams in coastal Morocco and Algeria.




Distribution, ecology and threats


Melanopsis letourneuxi is found almost exclusively in relatively shallow medium-sized streams with stony substrates, rarely occurring in stagnant sources. The species had historically been reported from several localities in north Africa, including a site in Algeria or (disputedly) Morocco - "in the source and the river Moulouya, west of Maghnia" from which it has not been documented recently- and two confirmed adjacent Moroccan sites -Berguent and Ras el Ain at Aïn Beni Mathar - in which it is exceedingly rare. Remaining populations are threatened by water abstraction, pollution, and shell-collecting.




Populations


Historically, several varieties (excluding the nominal var.) had been identified by Pallary and Bourguignat, including:

† Melanopsis letourneuxi var. semesa
Melanopsis letourneuxi var. magna (Berguent at Aïn Beni Mathar)*
Melanopsis letourneuxi var. minor (Ras el Aïn at Aïn Beni Mathar)*
Melanopsis letourneuxi var. emaciata (Berguent at Aïn Beni Mathar)
Melanopsis letourneuxi var. mattarica (Ras el Aïn at Aïn Beni Mathar)
† Denotes that the variety is not mentioned by the nomenclator of Neubauer 2016
*Denotes that the variety is considered invalid by the nomenclator of Neubauer 2016




References






External links


Bourguignat, J.-R. (1884). Histoire des Mélaniens du système européen. Annales de Malacologie. 2 (1): 1-168.

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Melanopsis letourneuxi
• Melanopsis
• IUCN Red List endangered species (Animalia)
• List of endangered invertebrates
• List of endangered molluscs
• List of recently extinct molluscs
• List of recently extinct invertebrates
• IUCN Red List critically endangered species (Animalia)