A river basin in Sri Lanka as a biodiversity hotspot - Systematic overview and biogeographical analysis of Paludomus Swainson, 1840 (Caenogastropoda, Cerithioidea, Paludomidae) (2024)

Snail life in Sri Lanka's rivers in the 1970s

Almost 100 different species belong to the freshwater snail group Paludomidae, which is native to Asia and other regions. This study marks the first attempt to redivide the systematics and biogeography of the paludomid fauna of Sri Lanka.

In the early 1970s, the Viennese systematist and malacozoologist Prof. Dr Ferdinand Starmühlner was on the island as part of a faunistic expedition and collected paludomids in various regions. By using this original material on loan from the Malacological Collection of the Vienna Natural History Museum, we open a historical window into the occurrence and distribution of dominant freshwater snails on the island around half a century ago, providing valuable "baseline" data on faunal change over time.

This provides a rare biological baseline: it can be used to reconstruct the occurrence of paludomids about half a century ago.

Systematics and biogeography of the Paludomidae

Our research focusses on three subgenera: Paludomus, Philopotamis and Ganga, which comprise a total of 13 species, some of which are endemic to Sri Lanka.

On the one hand, the sample material is examined by means of morphological-anatomical analyses, through which we re-evaluate taxonomic differentiations and the previous classification. On the other hand, we are investigating the biogeographical distribution patterns of the snails. These patterns are placed in the context of the unique geological and hydrological history of Sri Lanka.

The detailed occurrences and biogeographical patterns derived from these historical data can then be compared in a second project step with the current situation, which is expected to be influenced by anthropogenic changes to Sri Lanka's limnetic habitats.

Impact of habitat change

Our results should provide insights into the evolutionary and ecological circumstances and potential changes in this biodiversity hotspot. A further aim of this basic research on systematics and biogeography is to emphasise the importance of conserving these unique riverine freshwater ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental change.

This study not only revises the classification of Paludomidae, but also contributes to the understanding of the broader implications of biodiversity conservation in the face of habitat change and climate change.

Bachelor thesis, University of Hamburg: "A riverine radiation in Sri Lanka as biodiversity hotspot - Systematic review and biogeographic analysis of Paludomus Swainson, 1840 (Caenogastropoda, Cerithioidea, Paludomidae)" - Júlia Lupim Millarch (2024)