Classification

Domain: Eukarya

Somatogyrus depressus is classified as a Eukaryote for being a multicellular organism whose cells contain a membrane bound nucleus (freedictionary.com).

Kingdom: Animalia

Somatogyrus depressus is classified as an Animal because it is multicellular and a heterotroph (eol.org).

Phylum: Mollusca

Somatogyrus depressus is classified as a Mollusk because it has three body regions: a head, visceral mass, and a "foot" (oceanresearch.org).

Class: Gastropoda

Somatogyrus depressus is classified as a Gastropod because it undergoes a process called torsion, has a muscular "foot" for creeping, and is dioecious (eol.org).

Order: Neotaenioglossa

Family: Hydrobiidae

Somatogyrus depressus is classified as Hydrobiidae for having a shell minute to small where the color is generally uniform.  Hydrobiidae is a very large family that is being revised (Wu et al. 1997).

Genus: Somatogyrus

Somatogyrus depressus is classified as Somatogyrus because it has a shell 3-6mm, is thick and solid, and is elongated.  Its whorl diameter rapidly increases and is generally inflated (Wu et al. 1997)

Species: Somatogyrus depressus

Somatogyrus depressus has a shell about 5.2mm tall that is somewhat elongated.  Their protoconch (first, early, or original shell) has tiny depressions, holes, or points (Wu et al. 1997).  Somatogyrus depressus contains the following Latin roots: Soma meaning body, gyre meaning ring, circle, spiral, or to whirl, and depressus meaning to press down, or low lying.  So all in all, it describes the snail as having a low lying body with a spiral-type shell.

Now that you know about the classification, let's go on to learn about Habitat.