Mo.82 Telescopium telescopium

 

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Family: Potamididae

Genus: Telescopium

Species:  Telescopium telescopium

 

Description

Telescopium telescopium are very similar in description to many other Potamidiae gastropods with the main points of difference being it being the largest in the family and the fold on its columella. Telescopium telescopium are relatively large in comparison to other molluscs in the Potamidiae family having a shell that ranges from 8–13 cm when fully grown. The shell is thick and heavy relative to the snail itself. The opening of the shell is perpendicular to the shell’s longitudinal axis, creating the straight sided cone shape. The shell of Telescopium telescopium differs from most other gastropods because it contains 0.12% magnesium carbonate. The operculum is rigiclaudent, meaning that the last growth increment always lies tangentially against the labial lip of the previous whorl. This makes it an exception within the family Potamididae, where the opercula of the shells are flexicaudent.

IUCN Status: Least concern