New genus, two new species and new records of subterranean freshwater snails (Caenogastropoda; Cochliopidae and Lithoglyphidae) from Coahuila and Durango, Northern Mexico
Author
Czaja, Alexander
Author
Cardoza-Martinez, Gabriel Fernando
Author
Meza-Sanchez, Iris Gabriela
Author
Estrada-Rodriguez, Jose Luis
Author
Saenz-Mata, Jorge
Author
Becerra-Lopez, Jorge Luis
Author
Romero-Mendez, Ulises
Author
Estrada-Arellano, Josue Raymundo
Author
Garza-Martinez, Miguel Angel
Author
Paulin, Jose Antonio Davila
text
Subterranean Biology
2019
29
89
102
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.29.34123
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.29.34123
1314-2615--89
4691E5225A074CA4A45ED4D5F9182BCD
Balconorbis
sabinasense Czaja,
Cardoza-Martinez
&
Estrada-Rodriguez
sp. n.
Figures 12-18
Type locality.
MEXICO, Coahuila state, Don
Martin
Basin, Sabinas River, Las Adjuntas (Rancho San Carlos):
101°11'41"W
,
27°53'33"N
, 354 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1).
Type material.
Holotype (Figs 12-14), UJMC 410, from type locality, leg. Cecilio Arreola Chapa, 30/xi/2018. Paratypes, UJMC 411, CNMO 7901, from the same lot, 11 specimens.
Figures 12-23. Shells of
Balconorbis sabinasense
sp. n. and
Coahuilix parrasense
Czaja,
Estrada-Rodriguez
,
Romero-Mendez
,
Avila-Rodriguez
,
Meza-Sanchez
& Covich, 2017. 12-14
B. sabinasense
n. sp., holotype, UJMC 410. 15-18 Paratype 1, UJMC 411. 19-21
C. parrasense
, UJMC 418, from Nazas River, Durango. 22, 23
C. parrasense
, fossil specimen from Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila, holotype, UJMC-320, from
Czaja et al. 2017c
, Fig. 4A, C. Scale bar: 0.5 mm (12-14, 19-23).
Etymology.
Derived from the name of Sabinas River, Coahuila, where the type locality is situated.
Referred material.
COAHUILA. Don
Martin
Basin, Sabinas River, UJMC 412, Ejido Santa
Maria
, Y. A.
Sanchez-Montanez
, 03/vii/2018. UJMC 413, Ejido Paso del Coyote, Cecilio Arreola Chapa, 30/xi/2018. UJMC 414, Sabinas (Agua Prieta), Y. A.
Sanchez-Montanez
, 08/vii/2018. UJMC 415, La Vega, Y. A.
Sanchez-Montanez
, 08/vii/2018.
Diagnosis.
Shell minute, less than 2 mm in diameter (width), planispiral, apertural plane not or only slightly inclined, with
33/4
or less whorls, bodywhorl keeled, with spiral lines and axial growth lines, protoconch smooth.
Differential diagnosis.
According to
Hershler and Longley (1986)
, the characteristic spiral structure (Figs 16-18) of the shells distinguish the genus
Balconorbis
clearly from other subterranean littoridinines. Shells of the new species differs from
B. uvaldensis
by larger shells (1.51-1.81 mm by
B. sabinasense sp. n.
versus 0.90-1.22 mm by
B. uvaldensis
) with weaker suture, more whorls, smooth to slightly pitted protoconch without spiral lines, and characteristic keels on the bodywhorl. Similar planispiral shells of the genus
Phreatodrobia
(
P. micra
Hershler & Longley, 1986,
P. plana
Hershler & Longley, 1986 and
P. rotunda
Hershler & Longley, 1986) are considerable smaller, lack the keels on the bodywhorl and do not have the characteristic regularly-spaced spiral lines and axial growth lines.
Description.
Shell minute, planispiral, width 1.51-1.81 mm, height 0.42-0.61 mm, with
31/4-33/4
whorls; protoconch smooth to slightly pitted (Fig. 16), hidden in ventral view, has
11/4
whorls, first teleoconch whorl with strong and elevated axial growth lines which cross the spiral lines producing a square pattern (Figs 17, 18), about 80 elevated spiral lines are present on the bodywhorl, bodywhorl with one or two keels, one keel usually stronger; aperture rounded to ovate, apertural plane only slightly inclined from the columellar axis (Fig. 13); inner peristome is fused to the penultimate whorl, outer lip strong and advanced relative to the remaining peristome; shells transparent or whitish.
Shell measurements
(mean
+/-
standard deviation in parentheses; n = 11): SH 0.53 (0.07) mm, SW 1.68 (0.10) mm, AH 0.59 (0.05) mm, AW 0.49 (0.08) mm, WN 3.5 (0.19), aperture plane inclination relative to shell axis = 22°-31°. Paratypes from the type locality.
Measurements of holotype.
SH 0.55 mm, SW 1.58 mm, AH 0.59 mm, AW 0.58 mm, HBW 0.50 mm, WN
31/2
, aperture plane inclination relative to shell axis = 25°.
Habitat.
Similar to
Phreatomascogos gregoi
sp. n.
Distribution
. Known from the type locality and various sites among the Sabinas River between the localities Ejido Santa
Maria
and La Vega. Within the type locality and most other sites the new species occurs sympatrically to
Phreatomascogos gregoi
sp. n.
Remarks.
Almost all the members of
Cochliopidae
family with planispiral shells are subterranean forms. Freshwater gastropods with similar shell characteristics can be found only in the genus
Balconorbis
which is monotypic with
B. uvaldensis
in the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer in Uvalde County, Texas, United State. Our new species resembles
B. uvaldensis
but differs from this by having larger shells, smooth protoconch, one more whorl and a bodywhorl with one or two more or less strong keels and by much closer, compressed set of the whorls resulting in weaker suture and larger columellar peristome. The later feature is unique in the genus
Balconorbis
and could indicate the possible position of the new species in a new geographically isolated genus. These conchological differences confirm that the new species is morphologically diagnosable and distinct to shells of the snails from Texas. It is the first record of the genus
Balconorbis
in Mexico.