A new species of Gyraulus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) from Ancient Lake Lugu,Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Southwest China
Contents
Abstract
A new aberrant species of the planorbid genus Gyraulus, Gyraulus luguhuensis n. sp., is described from Lake Lugu (Luguhu, in Chinese), Southwest China. The generic assignment with Gyraulus is based on features of the genital anatomy that are characteristic for members of that genus, in particular the presence of a chitinized penial stylet. Gyraulus luguhuensis n. sp. differs from most other congeners by its large, thick shell with an elevated spire. Similarly, aberrant shells are known from congeners in other Ancient Lakes worldwide indicating a potentially convergent evolution of shell characteristics in exclusively lacustrine species. Gyraulus luguhuensis differs from other lacustrine Gyraulus species with similarly large shells in having a sub-terminal penis pore and an unkeeled shell.
