Bythiospeum charpyi (Paladilhe, 1867) |
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Known distribution: cave rivers in Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône and in the Territoire de Belfort.
Original taxon: Hydrobia charpyi Paladilhe, 1867.
Karst spring at Silley-Bléfond, Doubs. Altitude ≈ 310m. Bernasconi legit, 1969. 3,9mm. |
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Original taxon: Hydrobia charpyi. The species was named after Mr. Charpy, an author’s friend, who collected the type-specimens in the streams of La Grande Combe des Bois, Doubs.
Same spot. 3,1-3,3mm. |
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Comparison between two charpyi at left and a “haeussleri” at right, all from the spring of Bléfond (type-locality of charpyi). 3,55-3,6mm and 3,55mm. B. charpyi is more cylindrical in its adult whorls, less triangular in shape that haeussleri, with also a less expanded and more elliptical aperture. In haeussleri, the lip seems to be more angular posteriorly, and semi-circular anteriorly. |
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| Left: Hydrobia charpyi in Paladilhe: Nouvelles miscellanées malacologiques, Paris 1869, plate II. Right: Vitrella haeussleri in Clessin: Die Mollusken- Fauna Mitteleuropa’s Bd.2;T.2, Nürnberg 1890, p.630. Both drawings show specimens with a drop-shaped aperture, rounded anteriorly, angular posteriorly. The haeussleri of Clessin is spectacularly stocky, Paladilhe’s charpyi is exceedingly tapering adapically, and both images show rather flat whorls, much less convex than in reality. |
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| Same spring. 3,4mm. Are charpyi and haeussleri actually two different species? |
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| Same spring. 3,34mm. |
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Same spot. Variations of shape, age, aperture, in specimens of almost equal size. Some shells are morphologically very close to “haeussleri”. 3,3-3,6mm.
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