Bithynia montenegrina (Wohlberedt, 1901)

Pesic, Vladimir & Gloeer, Peter, 2013, A new freshwater snail genus (Hydrobiidae, Gastropoda) from Montenegro, with a discussion on gastropod diversity and endemism in Skadar Lake, ZooKeys 281, pp. 69-90 : 72-73

Bithynia montenegrina (Wohlberedt, 1901) Fig. 3 c–d

New records.

Montenegro, Skadar Lake area, old stillwater channel near the River Crnojevića and above the village Rijeka Crnojevića, 15 m asl., 42°21.297'N, 19°01.122' E, 10.xi.2012, Pešić.

Remarks.

This species was described by Wohlberedt (1901) from River Crnojevića as subspeces of Bithynia mostarensis . In the short original description, Wolhberedt (1901) stated that it differs from the nominal form by one additional whorl and the more acute spire. Later on, Reischütz et al. (2008) reported this species from River Crnojevića and mentioned its similarity with Bithynia radomani Glöer & Pešić, 2007, a species relatively frequent in the Skadar Lake basin. Recently, we collected Bithynia montenegrina in an old stillwater channel near the River Crnojevića, so we were able to examine the morphology of this species and compare it with Bithynia radomani . From the latter species, Bithynia montenegrina can be distinguished by more slender penis and perennial appendix and the relatively shorter flagellum (compare Fig. 3b and 3d).

In some females we found specimens with a pseudopenis, a very small, not completely developed penis. This phenomenon is found also in Bithynia danubialis Glöer & Georgiev, 2012, a species recently described from the Bulgarian part of the Danube ( Glöer and Georgiev, 2012). It is worth to note that most of collected specimens were taken under stones and mud when the old stillwater channel was dry (Fig. 4A).