Us Fish and Wildlife Service Species
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0 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SPECIES ASSESSMENT AND LISTING PRIORITY ASSIGNMENT FORM SCIENTIFIC NAME: Marstonia castor COMMON NAME: Beaverpond marstonia LEAD REGION: Region 4 (Southeast Region) DATE INFORMATION CURRENT AS OF: 09/26/2017 STATUS/ACTION _L Species assessment - determined either we do not have sufficient information on threats or the information on the threats does not support a proposal to list the species and, 0 therefore, it was not elevated to Candidate status or proposed for listing _ Listed species petitioned for uplisting for which we have made a warranted-but-precluded finding for uplisting (this is part of the annual resubmitted petition finding) Candidate that received funding for a proposed listing determination; assessment not updated New candidate Continuing candidate _ Listing priority number change Former LPN: New LPN: _L Candidate removal: Former LPN: _n!a_ _ A - Taxon is more abundant or widespread than previously believed or not subject to the degree of threats sufficient to warrant issuance of a proposed listing or continuance of candidate status. 0 __U - Taxon not subject to the degree ofthreats sufficient to warrant issuance of a 0 proposed listing or continuance of candidate status due, in part or totally, to conservation efforts that remove or reduce the threats to the species. F - Range is no longer a U.S. territory. _ I - Insufficient information exists on biological vulnerability and threats to support listing. _ M - Taxon mistakenly included in past notice of review. _ N - Taxon does not meet the Act's definition of "species." _A_ X - Taxon believed to be extinct. Date when the species first became a Candidate (as currently defined): n/a Petition Information: _ Non-petitioned _A__ Petitioned; Date petition received: April 20. 2010 90-day substantial finding FR publication date: September 27. 2011 12-month warranted but precluded finding FR publication date: ~ FOR PETITIONED CANDIDATE SPECIES a. Is listing warranted (if yes, see summary of threats below)? No b. To date, has publication of a proposal to list been precluded by other higher priority 0 listing actions? n/a c. Why is listing precluded? n/a ANIMAL/PLANT GROUP AND FAMILY: Snail, family Hydrobiidae HISTORICAL STATESffERRITORIES/COUNTRIES OF OCCURRENCE: • States/US Territories: Georgia • US Counties: Crisp, Worth, and Daughtery, Counties, Georgia • Countries; United States CURRENT STATES/COUNTIESffERRITORIES/COUNTRIES OF OCCURRENCE: Georgia 2 0 0 LAND OWNERSHIP Private property and adjacent local roadways (public). LEAD REGION CONTACT Timothy Merritt, Chief, Division of Conservation and Classification, [email protected], 404-679-7082 LEAD FIELD OFFICE CONTACT Donald Imm, State Supervisor, Georgia Ecological Services Field Office, [email protected], 706-613-9493 BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION Species Description 0 To date, little is known about the beaverpond marstonia. Beaverpond marstonia was first described by Fred Thompson (1977, p. 130). The tan-colored shell ofbeaverpond marstonia is ovate-conic, and it typically has less than 3-5 whorls and is less than 4 mm in length. The operculum (gill cover) is oval-shaped, very thin, well-formed, a light amber color, with a light indentation along the outer edge (Thompson 1977, p. 130) Taxonomy Due to the lack of biological and ecological information for the beaverpond marstonia, we gathered and used information from similar species of spring snails closely related via genetic 3 0 analysis, especially those related within the family Hydrobiidae. 0 The family Hydrobiidae is found within the subclass Caenogastropoda of class Gastropoda (superfamily Rissoidea). Characteristics ofhydrobiids include gills located near the front of their body, a spiraJly coiled shell, and a mantle cavity near the head that contains sensory and excretory organs(Kabat and Hershler 1993, p. 5). Members of Hydrobiidae are understood to be found in freshwater habitats. Although the family constitutes a large group of approximately 170 known species of aquatic snails with worldwide distribution, especially in North America and Australia (USFWS 2015, p. 1), many species within the family appear to have restricted distributions, often associated with springs, and even more are known only from their respective type locality (Watson C.N. 2000, p. 233). Information on hydrobiids is lacking in comparison to other mollusks, due to their small size and the need to differentiate between 0 species morphologically, primarily by the male genitalia. Beaverpond marstonia belongs to the Nymphophilinae subfamily of Hydrobiidae, one of the largest groups of aquatic mollusks in North America. These species align with hydrobiid characteristics, including limited dispersal abilities and adherence to narrow distribution in local drainage systems. Members of this subfamily often live in small springs and other fragile habitats (Hershler et at. 2003, p. 357). Recent studies found the most likely single feature of the clade is the presence of surficial glandular fields on the penis of males (with a few species in the Pyrgulopsis genus being the exception) (Hershler et at. 2003, p. 362). The genus Marstonia is 4 0 0 composed of 15 small (shell height <5.0 mm) ovate to elongate-shelled species that are distributed in springs, streams, and lakes in eastern North America (Hershler 2011, p. 2). Marstonia was first described by F.C. Baker in 1926 as a subgenus to Amnicola, and Berry elaborated on that finding, basing the distinction on the differing penis structures of the two genii (Baker 1926, Berry 1943). Hershler and Thompson expanded and redefined the genus, eventually merging it with Pyrgulopsis based on the morphological similarity of the male genitalia. (Hershler and Thompson 1987, p. 29). However, subsequent studies found significant morphological contrast between the eastern Pyrgulopsis species and the western counterparts. Marstonia is distinguished in that the oviduct and bursal duct join well in front of the posterior pallial wall. O Marstonia is further distinguished from Pyrgulopsis by the more coarsely pitted protoconch sculpture, incomplete inner shell lip across the parietal wall, banded pattern of mantle pigmentation, narrowly vertical oviduct coil, and bursal duct largely or entirely imbedded in (as opposed to superficial to) the albumen gland (Hershler 1994, p. 11 ). Hershler and Thompson withdrew the merger and again recognized Marstonia as a distinct genus (2002, p. 269), with evidence that it is a well-supported sub-clade within its subfamily based on mtDNA sequences (Hershler et al. 2003, p. 360). Beaverpond marstoni a shares morphological characteristics with members of its family, Hydrobiidae. Hydrobiids are strictly aquatic, relying on an internal gill for respiration (Martinez 5 0 et al. 2006, p. 8) and typically have a strong, mobile foot that is able to retract into its shell. 0 Mucous glands that discharge from a narrow groove across the anterior edge of the foot allow movement by ciliary gliding. The eyes ofhydrobiids are found at the base of its cephalic tentacles, typically in discrete swellings on outer sides. These tentacles are usually symmetrical, often with patches or tracts of ciliary tufts (motile and non-motile) on dorsal and/or ventral surfaces. Both the mantle edges and mantle cavities of hydrobiids are smooth, lacking protuberances. Hydrobiids also usually have a trapezoidal central tooth, surrounded by cusped lateral and marginal teeth (Hershler 1994, p. 5). Commonly identified by their internal organs, hydrobiids have stomachs with well·differentiated anterior and posterior chambers, with a single opening to the digestive gland. The hypobranchial gland, a mucus-producing structure common in mollusks, is typically either absent or modestly 0 developed (Hershler 1994, p. 5). The rectum of the hydrobiid is usually straight, and it often overlaps with the gonoducts (gamete passageway), and the anus opens near the edge of the mantle (Hershler 1994, p. 5). Habitat/Life History Beaverpond marstonia was primarily found by on clumps of vegetation of the Najas and Chara genii, in shallow, clear water that only had a slight current (Thompson 1977, p. 130). The family Hydrobiidae is known for diversity in the habitats its species occupies, including springs, large rivers, and a variety of diverse aquatic systems, but particularly spring ecosystems that 6 0 0 produce running water (USFWS 2015, p. 5). These spring systems are areas where groundwater is exposed, with a close source from the water table to the Earth's surface. These springs are perennial, and are typically rich in dissolved nutrients and gases from the continual supply of inorganic and organic materials in dissolved and particulate forms {Knight et al. 2008, p. 24). The enriched water quality undergirds the biodiversity of aquatic flora and fauna found in these areas (Knight et al. 2008, p. 3). Stability from a relatively constant groundwater source, physical limitations from topography and terrestrial features (Knight et al. 2008, p. 22), and geological events that influence evolution of local species, are all factors that influence a high level of endemism among freshwater species, especially snails, which have the most restricted dispersal ability of o all major freshwater groups (Strayer 2010, p. 346, P. Johnson, pers. comm. 2017). The average life span of beaverpond marstonia is unknown, though the average lifespan ofhydrobiids is 9 to 15 months (USFWS 2015, p. 5). Beaverpond marstonia achieves maturity between November and March,