SPECIES FACT SHEET
Scientific Name: Fluminicola virens (Lea, 1838)
Common Name: Olympia Pebblesnail
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Neotaenioglossa
Super-family: Rissooidea
Family: Lithoglyphidae
Taxonomic Notes:
1. Many taxonomic analyses (e.g., Kabat & Hershler 1993) treat Lithoglyphinae
as a subfamily within the family Hydrobiidae. However, a more recent
classification system derived largely from molecular phylogenetic research
treats Lithoglyphidae at the family level, nested within the Rissooidea
superfamily rather than the Hydrobiidae family (Bouchet et al. 2005).
2. Hershler & Frest (1996) provide a long list of synonyms for Fluminicola
virens, including the recent synonyms Lithoglyphus virens and L. nucleus.
3. Fluminicola virens is a highly divergent species, distinct both morphologically
and genetically from all others in the genus (Hershler et al. 2007, Hershler &
Frest 1996), with the exception of Fluminicola gustafsoni, a newly described
species occurring in the lower Snake River watershed of Idaho and adjacent
Asotin Co., Washington, well to the east of the known sites for F. virens
(Hershler & Liu 2012). Phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA recently
revealed that F. virens and F. gustafsoni, together, are in a clade distinct from a
large clade composed of all other Fluminicola species. Phylogenetic analysis also
confirmed previous suspicions that Fluminicola is not a monophyletic genus, as
revealed by the finding that that the members of the large Fluminicola clade are
more closely related to several other Lithoglyphid genera than they are to F.
virens and F. gustafsoni. As such, revision of the genus is clearly needed, and
forthcoming. See Hershler & Liu (2012) for further details.
Conservation Status:
Global Status (2006): G2 (Imperiled)
National Status (United States): N2
State Status: Oregon (S2), Washington (S2?)
(NatureServe 2012).
Range & Distribution:
Fluminicola virens is known only from Oregon and Washington in the
Northwestern United States. In Washington, it is known from a few scattered
records in the southwest part of the state, including the Willapa River,
Deschutes River, Moffett Creek, Greenleaf Creek, and sites in the Olympic
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Mountains and San Juan Island. In Oregon, it is limited in distribution to the
Willamette and lower Columbia River basins where it occurs in the lower
Columbia River below Portland, the upper Deschutes River, the Umpqua River,
the Willamette River from Corvallis to its mouth, and large tributary streams of
the Willamette River including the Tualatin and Clackamas Rivers (Hershler &
Frest 1996, NatureServe 2012). Known records are from Clackamas, Clatsop,
Douglas, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, and Tillamook Counties in
Oregon, and from Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Pacific, San Juan, Skamania and
Thurston Counties in Washington (Deixis MolluskDB Database 2012, Harvard
University MCZ Database 2012, Academy of Natural Sciences Database 2012,
Smithsonian Database 2012; Hershler & Frest 1996, Burch 1989). It is also
listed as occurring in Kootenay and Wigwam Rivers in British Columbia (Clarke
1981), but these records have since been discounted (Hershler & Frest 1996).
Forest Service/BLM Lands: The species is Documented on Willamette National
Forest. It is Suspected on Olympic National Forest, Siuslaw National Forest,
Salem BLM District, and the Columbia River Gorge NSA in Washington based
on close proximity to known records and/or occurrence in water-bodies that
pass through these Forest Service and BLM lands (see Figures 2, 3, and 4 in
Appendix 3). It may also be considered Suspected on Ochoco National Forest
and/or BLM land in the Prineville District, based on one vague record from the
“Upper Deschutes River”— a river which runs through a significant amount of
both Prineville BLM and Ochoco National Forest land (not Figured).
Habitat Associations:
Hydrobiid snails of the genus Fluminicola are among the more ubiquitous
macroinvertebrates in large, lotic water bodies of northwestern North America
(Hershler & Frest 1996). Members of this genus are usually found in clear, cold
waters with high dissolved oxygen content (Hershler & Frest 1996). Large
species, such as F. virens, are typically found in streams, whereas smaller
species are commonly found in either spring or stream environments (Hershler
& Frest 1996). Frest & Johannes (1995) discuss the ecology of the larger
Fluminicola species as a group, stating that most of these taxa are classified as
cold-water stenotherms (functioning only within a narrow temperature range)
and as spring-influenced amniphiles (existing primarily in larger streams).
Generally, these species prefer cold, clear, streams with near-saturation
amounts of dissolved oxygen, no or minor nutrient enhancement (oligotrophic
waters); continual current; and coarse but stable substrate (Frest & Johannes
1995). Common mollusks found in association with the larger Fluminicola
species include the cold-water dependent Vorticifex effusus, as well as Physella
(Physa) gyrina, Margaritifera falcata, and Gonidea angulata (Frest & Johannes
1995). Preferred habits generally have few rooted aquatic macrophytes and
relatively minor amounts of coverage by epiphytic algae and such tolerant
macrophytes as Ceratophylum and Potamogeton crispus; such may occur in
finer-substrate areas nearby (Frest & Johannes 1995). Members of the
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Fluminicola genus are generally lithophiles- found on hard rocky surfaces
where they graze on periphyton (Frest & Johannes 1995, Hershler & Frest
1996).
Conservation Notes:
Fluminicola are fairly intolerant of impounded waters and soft substrates as
well as of nutrient-enhanced or lacustrine (lake) habitats (Hershler & Frest
1996). Although the free-flowing, oligotrophic waters where these animals
thrive were once ubiquitous throughout the historic range of the genus, the
genus is apparently now extirpated from large areas (e.g., much of the
Columbia and Snake River drainages and the Olympic Peninsula) owing to
human-related activities (Hershler & Frest 1996). Human modification of the
lower Columbia River, in particular, has been extensive, including numerous
Bonneville Power Administration dams, to the point that only relatively small
reaches of the Columbia River system remain free flowing (Frest & Johannes
1993, 1995; Hershler & Frest 1996). Siltation in this area has also been
increased by agricultural practices and by clear-cutting on adjacent National
Forests (Frest & Johannes 1993). Several species of endemic mollusks in this
area are thought to be either extinct or near extinction, including at least two
other Fluminicola species (Fluminicola nuttalliana and an undescribed
Fluminicola) as well as Vorticifex neritoides and Physella columbiana (Frest &
Johannes 1995).
Prepared by: Sarah Foltz Jordan, Xerces Society
Date: November 2012
Edited by: Sarina Jepsen, Xerces Society
Date: 3 December 2012
Final Edits: Rob Huff, FS/BLM
Date: 12 November 2013
ATTACHMENTS:
(1)
References
(2)
List of pertinent or knowledgeable contacts
(3)
Maps of Species Distribution
(4)
Illustration and Scanning Electron Micrograph of Species
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ATTACHMENT 1:
References:
The Academy of Natural Sciences: Malacology Collection. Online database.
Available at: http://clade.ansp.org/malacology/collections/index.html. (Last
accessed Oct 2012).
Bouchet, P., Rocroi, J.-P., Frýda, J., Hausdorf, B., Ponder, W., Valdés, Á. And
A. Warén. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families.
Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology (Hackenheim, Germany:
ConchBooks) 47 (1-2): 1–397.
Burch, J.B. 1989. North American Freshwater Snails. Malacological
Publications: Hamburg, Michigan. 365 pp. (relevant pages: 102, 364).
Clarke, A.H. 1981. The Freshwater Molluscs of Canada. Ottawa: National
Museums of Canada. 446 pages.
Deixis MolluscDB database. 2012. An unpublished collection of mollusk
records maintained by Ed Johannes.
Frest, T.J., and E.J. Johannes. 1993. Mollusc Species of Special Concern
within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl. Deixis Consultants, Final
Report. Unpublished report prepared for the Forest Ecosystem Management
Working Group, U.S.D.A. Forest Service; Pacific Northwest Region; Portland,
OR. 98 pp.
Frest, T.J. and E.J. Johannes. 1995. Interior Columbia Basin mollusk species
of special concern. Final report: Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem
Management Project, Walla Walla, WA. Contract #43-0E00-4-9112. 274 pp.
plus appendices.
Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology. 2012. Malacology
Collection, Online database. Available at:
http://collections.mcz.harvard.edu/Mollusks/MolluskSearch.htm. (Accessed
August 2012).
Hershler, R. and T.J. Frest. 1996. A review of the North American
freshwater snail genus Fluminicola (Hydrobiidae). Smithsonian
Contributions to Zoology 583: 1-41.
Hershler R., Liu H.-P., Frest T.J. & Johannes E.J. 2007. Extensive
diversification of pebblesnails (Lithoglyphidae: Fluminicola) in the upper
Sacramento River basin. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149(3): 371422.
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Hershler R. and H.-P. Liu. 2012. Molecular phylogeny of the western North
American pebblesnails, genus Fluminicola (Rissooidea: Lithoglyphidae),
with description of a new species. Journal of Molluscan Studies 78: 321–329.
Kabat, A.R. & R. Hershler. 1993. The prosobranch snail family Hydrobiidae
(Gastropoda: Rissooidea): review of classification and supraspecific taxa.
Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 547: 1-94.
NatureServe. 2012. “Fluminicola virens.” NatureServe Explorer: An online
encyclopedia of life [web application]. Feb. 2009. Version 7.1. NatureServe,
Arlington, Virginia. Available at: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/
(Accessed 25 Sep 2012).
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Invertebrate Zoology
Collection. Online database. Available at:
http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/iz/ (Accessed 25 June 2012).
ATTACHMENT 2:
List of pertinent, knowledgeable contacts:
Ed Johannes, Deixis Consultants, Seattle-Tacoma, Washington.
Robert Hershler. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History,
Washington DC.
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ATTACHMENT 3:
Maps of Species Distribution
Figure 1. Known records of Fluminicola virens in Oregon and Washington
relative to Forest Service and BLM lands.
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Figure 2. Historic (1916) record of Fluminicola virens from “Upper end of Lake
Quinault.” Map shows proximity of manuscripted locality to Olympic NF land,
which the Quinault River crosses through less than a mile from the upper end
of Lake Quinault.
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Figure 3. Relatively recent (1990, 1995) records of Fluminicola virens from
Skamania County, Washington: “Greenleaf Creek at Moffett Springs Road
bridge” and “Moffett Creek at Moffett Springs Road bridge.” Map shows
proximity of manuscripted locality to Columbia River Gorge NSA.
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Figure 4. Historic (pre-1928) record of Fluminicola virens from “Nestucca River,
near Cloverdale, Station 3.” Map shows proximity of manuscripted locality to
Siuslaw NF land, which the Nestucca River crosses through just a couple of
miles upstream from Cloverdale. Farther upstream, the river runs through a
significant amount of Siuslaw NF and Salem District BLM land.
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ATTACHMENT 4:
Species
Illustration and Scanning Electron Micrograph of
Shell of F. virens, lectotype, USNM 121431 (7.5 mm). Figure extracted from
Hershler & Frest (1996), used with permission.
Shell protoconch of Fluminicola virens, USNM 883183 (bar = 0.27 mm). Figure
extracted from Hershler & Frest (1996), used with permission.
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