Biomphalaria sudanica

Biomphalaria sudanica is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.

Biomphalaria sudanica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Hygrophila
Superfamily:	Planorboidea
Family:	Planorbidae
Subfamily:	Planorbinae
Tribe:	Biomphalariini
Genus:	Biomphalaria
Species:	B. sudanica
Binomial name
Biomphalaria sudanica (Martens, 1870)

Distribution

This species is African, and occurs mainly in East Africa:[1]

• Lake Victoria,[2] Kenya, Uganda, (Tanzania)
• Lake Ziway,[3] Ethiopia
• Lake Albert,[4] Uganda. (Lake Albert is between Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Lake Kyoga, Uganda[5]
• 13 crater lakes in western Uganda (listed as "Biomphalaria pfeifferi/sudanica" in these crater lakes)[5]

Phylogeny

A cladogram showing the phylogenic relations of species in the genus Biomphalaria:[6]

Biomphalaria

Biomphalaria stanleyi     Biomphalaria pfeifferi       Biomphalaria camerunensis     Nilotic species complex       Biomphalaria sudanica     Biomphalaria choanomphala       Biomphalaria alexandrina       Biomphalaria smithi         Biomphalaria glabrata           Biomphalaria straminea complex     Biomphalaria kuhniana     Biomphalaria straminea         Biomphalaria straminea     Biomphalaria intermedia           Biomphalaria amazonica     Biomphalaria sp.           Biomphalaria tenagophila     Biomphalaria occidentalis             Biomphalaria prona     Biomphalaria andecola       Biomphalaria sp. (? Biomphalaria havanensis)               Biomphalaria sp. (? Biomphalaria havanensis)     Biomphalaria temascalensis       Biomphalaria obstructa         Biomphalaria helophila       Biomphalaria peregrina       Biomphalaria schrammi

Ecology

Biomphalaria sudanica is found in shallow water near the shoreline in Lake Albert.[4] Despite being a pulmonate, Biomphalaria sudanica is well adapted to use the oxygen from water (but not as well as Planorbis). This ability is useful for living in swamp habitats.[7]

The population density of Biomphalaria sudanica varies during the year. The highest population density of Biomphalaria sudanica is in Lake Ziway, Ethiopia from June to August, at the end of rainy season.[3]

The higher densities of Biomphalaria sudanica occur in habitats with the Common Water Hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes in Lake Victoria.[8]

It was experimentally detected under laboratory conditions that shells of Biomphalaria sudanica are bigger in waters with higher concentration of calcium than in waters with low calcium.[1]

Parasites

Biomphalaria sudanica is an intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni[2] and for Schistosoma rodhaini.[9]

Infestation with schistosomes in the Lake Victoria basin is about 1%,[9] but can be up to 50% in the case of Schistosoma mansoni and up to 6% in Schistosoma rodhaini in some localities.[9]

References

1. Brodersen, J. (2003). "The effect of calcium concentration on the crushing resistance, weight and size of Biomphalaria sudanica (Gastropoda: Planorbidae)". Hydrobiologia. 490: 181–186. doi:10.1023/A:1023495326473.
2. Black, C. L.; Mwinzi, P. N. M.; Muok, E. M. O.; Abudho, B.; Fitzsimmons, C. M.; Dunne, D. W.; Karanja, D. M. S.; Secor, W. E.; Colley, D. G. (2010). Bethony, Jeffrey M (ed.). "Influence of Exposure History on the Immunology and Development of Resistance to Human Schistosomiasis Mansoni". PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 4 (3): e637. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000637. PMC 2843635. PMID 20351784.
3. Erko, B.; Balcha, F.; Kifle, D. (2006). "The ecology of Biomphalaria sudanica in Lake Ziway, Ethiopia". African Journal of Ecology. 44 (3): 347–352. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2006.00615.x.
4. Kazibwe, F.; Makanga, B.; Rubaire-Akiiki, C.; Ouma, J.; Kariuki, C.; Kabatereine, N. B.; Booth, M.; Vennervald, B. J.; Sturrock, R. F.; Stothard, J. R. (2006). "Ecology of Biomphalaria (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in Lake Albert, Western Uganda: Snail distributions, infection with schistosomes and temporal associations with environmental dynamics". Hydrobiologia. 568: 433–444. doi:10.1007/s10750-006-0224-y.
5. John, R.; Ezekiel, M.; Philbert, C.; Andrew, A. (2008). "Schistosomiasis transmission at high altitude crater lakes in western Uganda". BMC Infectious Diseases. 8: 110. doi:10.1186/1471-2334-8-110. PMC 2518556. PMID 18694485.
6. Dejong, R. J.; Morgan, J. A.; Paraense, W. L.; Pointier, J. P.; Amarista, M.; Ayeh-Kumi, P. F.; Babiker, A.; Barbosa, C. S.; Brémond, P.; Pedro Canese, A.; De Souza, C. P.; Dominguez, C.; File, S.; Gutierrez, A.; Incani, R. N.; Kawano, T.; Kazibwe, F.; Kpikpi, J.; Lwambo, N. J.; Mimpfoundi, R.; Njiokou, F.; Noël Poda, J.; Sene, M.; Velásquez, L. E.; Yong, M.; Adema, C. M.; Hofkin, B. V.; Mkoji, G. M.; Loker, E. S. (2001). "Evolutionary relationships and biogeography of Biomphalaria (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) with implications regarding its role as host of the human bloodfluke, Schistosoma mansoni". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 18 (12): 2225–2239. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003769. PMID 11719572.
7. Jones, J. D. (1964). "Respiratory gas exchange in the aquatic pulmonate, Biomphalaria sudanica". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 12 (3): 297–310. doi:10.1016/0010-406X(64)90061-1.
8. Plummer, M. L. (2005). "Impact of Invasive Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) on Snail Hosts of Schistosomiasis in Lake Victoria, East Africa". EcoHealth. 2: 81–86. doi:10.1007/s10393-004-0104-8.].
9. Steinauer, M. L.; Mwangi, I. N.; Maina, G. M.; Kinuthia, J. M.; Mutuku, M. W.; Agola, E. L.; Mungai, B.; Mkoji, G. M.; Loker, E. S. (2008). Knight, Matty (ed.). "Interactions between Natural Populations of Human and Rodent Schistosomes in the Lake Victoria Region of Kenya: A Molecular Epidemiological Approach". PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2 (4): e222. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000222. PMC 2291567. PMID 18414646.

Further reading

• Magendantz, M. (1972). "The biology of Biomphalaria choanomphala and B. Sudanica in relation to their role in the transmission of Schistosoma mansoni in Lake Victoria at Mwanza, Tanzania". Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 47 (3): 331–341. PMC 2480720. PMID 4539821.