Identifying mollusk species in the freshwater bodies of New Mexico

Due to its proximity to the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico has an arid environment with sparse water bodies that are remote and undocumented but can also be biodiverse oases. As a result, little research has been done on its native freshwater organisms, leading to the inquiry of what mollusk species reside there. To answer this question, I collected organisms from an ephemeral spring called Ojo del Abo on the southeastern edge of the Manzano Mountains and a pond that was cut off from the Rio Grande River. Preliminary observation of the collected organisms revealed that the vast majority were sinistral snails, a rare trait that allowed for me to recognize them to be a part of the Physidae family. Physidae freshwater snails are known for their unique ability of phenotypic plasticity, which enables them to change their shell morphology in response to biotic and abiotic factors in their immediate environment. This enhances their ability to adapt and causes generations and even individuals to look different from each other. As a result, shell morphology alone could not be used to identify the species, and penial morphology and behavior were used complementary. Identified species from Ojo del Abo included the freshwater snail species of Lymnaea cockerelli, Lymnaea cubensis/viator, and Physa gyrina as well as the freshwater clam species of Sphaerium striatinum. The Rio Grande pond was less diverse and less abundant with only the species of Lymnaea cubensis/viator and Physa gyrina being collected. Phenotypic plasticity was most evident in the Physa gyrina whose varying shell colors and aperture sizes allowed for inferences on the environmental conditions faced by these organisms. These results led to the implication that because climate change and global warming will have significant impacts on the environments of these organisms, it will also impact their morphologies. 

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Nyrobi Whitfield, Oberlin College (whitfield.nyrobi@gmail.com)

Authors:

Nyrobi Whitfield, Oberlin College  (whitfield.nyrobi@gmail.com)