> Floridobia species A (Thompson MS)
 
> Habitat & Distribution
We are aware of an undescribed species of Floridobia inhabiting the Ogeechee River in Bryan, Effingham, and Screven Counties.  Found primarily by washing rocks.  

> Ecology & Life history
No specific life history data are as yet available for Floridobia.  Males bear a relatively large, bladelike penis above their heads, females lay single, hemispherical egg capsules (Hershler 1994).    

> Taxonomy & Systematics
Like Spilochlamys, Notogillia, and Marstonia, the genus Floridobia belongs to the hydrobiid subfamily Nymphophilinae, males being characterized by a lobe-shaped penis (or verge) with surficial glandular patterns.  The Floridobia penis has crescent-shaped terminal and ventral glands on its large terminal penial lobe and a slender flagellum (Kabat and Hershler 1993, Thompson 1968, 2004).  

The genus Floridobia has only recently been distinguished from Cincinnatia, on the basis of female reproductive anatomy (Thompson & Hershler 2002).  Interestingly, the molecular data of Liu & Hershler (2005) revealed little differentiation between Floridobia and the (primarily western) hydrobiid genus Pyrgulopsis.

> Map of Floridobia distribution (PDF)


> References
Hershler, R. (1994)  A review of the North American freshwater snail genus Pyrgulopsis (Hydrobiidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 1994; 0(554):1-115.   Hershler, R., H. Liu, and F.G. Thompson (2003)  Phylogenetic relationships of North American nymphophiline gastropods based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.  Zoologica Scripta 32:357-366.    Kabat, A.R., and R. Hershler (1993) The prosobranch snail family Hydrobiidae (Gastropoda: Rissooidea): review of classification and supraspecific taxa. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 547:1-94.   Liu, H., and R. Hershler (2005)  Molecular systematics and radiation of western North American nympholine gastropods. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 34:284-298.  Thompson, F.G. (1968)  The Aquatic Snails of the Family Hydrobiidae of Peninsular Florida. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida, USA.  Thompson, F.G. (2004)  An identification manual for the freshwater snails of Florida.   Thompson, F. G. & R. Hershler (2002)  Two genera of North American freshwater snails: Marstonia Baker, 1926, resurrected to generic status, and Floridobia, new genus (Prosobranchia: Hydrobiidae: Nymphophilinae).  The Veliger 45: 269 - 271.