List of non-marine molluscs of Ireland


This list of the non-marine molluscs of Ireland comprises 165 species of non-marine molluscs which have been recorded as part of the fauna of Ireland. These are terrestrial and aquatic gastropods, and bivalves; the list does not include species of molluscs which are considered to be fully marine.
In other words: this list includes land snails and slugs, and freshwater and brackish water snails. It also includes freshwater mussels and freshwater clams, including some that can tolerate brackish water. Molluscs that are fully adapted to live in the sea are not included here.
Ireland is an island in the northeastern Atlantic. It consists of the Republic of Ireland, also known simply as Ireland, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
The mollusc fauna of the island of Ireland has not been as thoroughly researched as that of the island of Great Britain, and therefore it is possible that some uncommon and local species may, as yet, have been overlooked. Even so, it seems that the non-marine molluscan fauna of Ireland is a smaller fauna than that of Great Britain.
This list is of land and freshwater molluscs only. Some species of gastropods listed here live in habitats that are intermediate between freshwater and saltwater. Others live in habitats that are intermediate between land and saltwater. Both of these kinds of species are often also included in marine faunal lists.
In addition to the species that live naturally outdoors in Ireland, there are at least 2 aquatic gastropod species which live only in artificially-heated indoor environments such as aquaria in greenhouses. These are known as "hothouse aliens", and in this list they are not counted as part of the total fauna.
A number of species are listed with subspecies, in cases where there are recognized subspecies in different parts of Europe. In some cases a synonym is given, where the species may be perhaps better known under an older name.
The list is arranged by presumed biological affinity, rather than being alphabetical by family.
The following table shows a summary of species numbers. It is not always easy to define which species are aquatic and which are terrestrial, as some species such as Galba truncatula are virtually amphibious. It also can be difficult to determine which species are introduced, as some introductions are quite ancient, for example from the Paleolithic. Those species that do not have a shell usually do not leave an archeological or fossil record, and therefore it is not always possible to determine whether they are native or introduced.
Non-marine molluscs of Ireland
Land gastropods107
Aquatic gastropods37
Gastropod total:144
Freshwater bivalves21
Mollusc total:165
Introduced land gastropods in natural habitats:15
Introduced bivalves in natural habitats:1
Total introduced molluscs in natural habitats:16
Gastropods living as "hothouse aliens"2
Bivalves living as "hothouse aliens"0

Conservation

Species protected by EU Habitats Directive include: Geomalacus maculosus, Vertigo angustior, Vertigo geyeri, Vertigo moulinsiana and Margaritifera margaritifera.
Two species have been protected by the Wildlife Act of 1976 since 1990: Geomalacus maculosus and Margaritifera margaritifera. They were added by regulation SI 112/1990.
A recent regional red list has been published of the non-marine molluscs of Ireland by Byrne et al.. In this publication, the threat status of 150 native species was evaluated using IUCN regional guidelines. Of these species, two are considered to be regionally extinct, five critically endangered, fourteen endangered, twenty-six vulnerable, six near threatened, and the rest of least concern, or data deficient. This publication has sparked some media discussion about molluscan conservation in Ireland, including articles written in the Irish Times and the Irish Daily Mail.

Regional Red List of Irish non-marine molluscs

The following species have been assigned threat categories or were considered regionally extinct on the island of Ireland in 2009:
Regionally extinct
Helicigona lapicida ; Omphiscola glabra - listed as extinct in the red list, but rediscovered in 2009.
Critically Endangered
Pisidium conventus Clessin, 1877
Pomatias elegans
Margaritifera margaritifera
Truncatella subcylindrica
Margaritifera durrovensis Philips, 1928
Endangered
Gyraulus laevis
Pisidium pulchellum Jenyns, 1832
Hydrobia acuta neglecta
Pupilla muscorum
Mercuria cf. similis
Quickella arenaria
Merdigera obscura
Spermodea lamellata
Myxas glutinosa
Succinella oblonga Draparnaud, 1801
Pisidium moitessierianum Paladilhe, 1866
Vertigo moulinsiana
Pisidium pseudosphaerium Schlesch, 1947
Vertigo pusilla Müller, 1774
Vulnerable
Acicula fusca
Pisidium lilljeborgii Clessin, 1866
Anisus vortex
Radix auricularia
Anodonta anatina
Sphaerium nucleus
Anodonta cygnea
Tandonia rustica
Aplexa hypnorum
Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801
Arianta arbustorum
Vallonia pulchella
Balea perversa
Ventrosia ventrosa
Cecilioides acicula
Vertigo angustior Jeffreys, 1830
Cochlodina laminata
Vertigo antivertigo
Helicella itala
Vertigo geyeri Lindholm, 1925
Leiostyla anglica
Vertigo lilljeborgi
Limax cinereoniger Wolf, 1803
Zenobiella subrufescens
Musculium lacustre
Zonitoides excavatus

Systematic list

The list is arranged by presumed biological affinity, rather than being alphabetical by family.
A number of species are listed with subspecies, in cases where there are well-recognized subspecies in different parts of Europe. For some species a synonym is given, where the species may perhaps be better known under another name.
An attempt has been made to label the families as aquatic, terrestrial or intermediate, and an indication is given where it is thought that the species is introduced. Those species that do not have a shell usually do not leave an archeological or fossil record, and therefore it is not always possible to determine whether they are native or introduced. Species are considered to be native, unless otherwise indicated; that information is taken from Kerney, 1999.

Gastropoda

; Neritidae - aquatic
; Aciculidae - terrestrial
; Viviparidae - aquatic

; Assimineidae - terrestrial
; Bithyniidae - aquatic
; Hydrobiidae - aquatic

; Valvatidae - aquatic
; Pomatiidae - terrestrial
The following gastropods are pulmonates:
; Ellobiidae - terrestrial or semi-marine

; Otinidae - aquatic
; Physidae - aquatic

; Lymnaeidae - aquatic

; Planorbidae - aquatic
; Acroloxidae - aquatic

; Succineidae - terrestrial
; Cochlicopidae - terrestrial

; Pyramidulidae - terrestrial
; Vertiginidae - terrestrial

; Pupillidae - terrestrial
; Lauriidae - terrestrial

; Valloniidae - terrestrial

; Enidae - terrestrial
; Punctidae - terrestrial
; Discidae - terrestrial

; Arionidae - terrestrial

; Pristilomatidae - terrestrial

; Euconulidae - terrestrial
; Gastrodontidae - terrestrial
; Oxychilidae - terrestrial

; Milacidae - terrestrial
; Vitrinidae - terrestrial


; Boettgerillidae - terrestrial
; Limacidae - terrestrial
; Agriolimacidae - terrestrial

; Ferussaciidae - terrestrial
; Clausiliidae - terrestrial
; Testacellidae - terrestrial
; Cochlicellidae - terrestrial
; Hygromiidae - terrestrial

; Helicidae - terrestrial
; Margaritiferidae - aquatic

; Unionidae - aquatic
; Sphaeriidae - aquatic

; Dreissenidae - aquatic
; Corbiculidae
These freshwater species are not truly part of the fauna, because they do not live in the wild. They are tropical, and thus are incapable of surviving in the wild in Ireland; instead they have established themselves as uninvited inhabitants of aquaria within greenhouses, and similar artificially-heated aquatic habitats.
; Lymnaeidae - aquatic
; Planorbidae - aquatic