Classification

Domain- Eukarya
    Kingdom- Animalia
        Phylum- Mollusca
            Class- Gastropoda
                (Subclass- Pulmonata)
                    Order- Basommatophora
                        Family- Lymnaeidae
                            Genus- Fossaria
                                Species- Fossaria parva
                                                    (Encyclopedia of Life)
                                                           
Organisms, like F. parva, in the domain Eukarya possess cells that have a membrane bound nucleus/nuclei and organelles, for the word "eukarya" means "truly nuclear". (Eisenhour, 2009).
(The picture to the right shows a typical eukaryotic cell).

The kingdom Animalia, which is simply translated to “animal”, is also sometimes referred to “Metazoa”.  Eukaryotes placed in this kingdom are multicellular (Eisenhour, 2009).

Animals found in the phylum Mollusca are bilateral (have one line of body symmetry), have three tissue layers (also called "tripoblastic") and have a “soft body”, which is the group’s distinctive characteristic (and literal translation of the word) (Eisenhour, 2009).

The literal translation from Latin of Gastropoda is “stomach-foot”, which is indicative of how all molluscs in this class move.  Other characteristics that classify organisms as gastropods are that they develop through a trochophore and/or veliger larval stage, have a well-developed head containing a radula and usually have a coiled shell (although some species have lost their shells completely) (Eisenhour, 2009).

Gastropods that are placed in the subclass Pulmonata lack an operculum, have replaced gills with an lung-like air sack in the mantle cavity and tend to be most of the land and freshwater snails and slugs (Eisenhour, 2009).
(The picture to the left shows a slug with this modification)


Pulmonates that belong to the order Basommatophora have eyes that are at the base of their tentacles instead of at the tip (Dillon, 2000).

Basommatophores that are classified into the family Lymnaeidae have dextral shells that have medium to high spire (Dillon, 2000).

Up until about 1970, the genus Fossaria was part of a larger genus called Lymnaea.  Due to developments in research, the genus was divided into several genera, including Fossaria, which are smaller than other organisms in their family (Clifford, 1991).

Fossaria parva is translated to “pigmy fossaria”, which is the snail’s common name.  The organism got its name due to the fact that it is the smallest of its genus (Clifford, 1991).
(The picture to the right show the shell of the Fossaria parva).