The Lymnaeidae: A Handbook on Their Natural History and Parasitological Significance

Maxim V. Vinarski · Antonio A. Vázquez

11/2023 · Zoological Monographs Livro 7 · Springer Nature

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The Lymnaeidae (also known as ‘pond snails’) are a species-rich and globally distributed family of freshwater snails, many species of which are known to be hosts of parasitic trematodes (such as the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica). Written by world-leading experts in the field, this book covers a wealth of topics ranging from the phylogeny and taxonomy of lymnaeid snails to their relationships with helminths and their impact on public and veterinary health. It provides an overview of the species richness, evolution, ecology, biogeography and fossil record of the family. A considerable number of chapters are devoted to the economic and medical importance of lymnaeids, their involvement in the transmission of fascioliasis and other zoonotic diseases. Special chapters deal with the molecular and morphological identification of the Lymnaeidae, their rearing in the laboratory and experimental approaches to their study.
This contributed volume is aimed at experts and practitioners in various disciplines: Invertebrate zoology, evolutionary biology, biogeography, aquatic ecology, parasitology, epidemiology and public health. It is also useful for university lecturers, undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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Maxim V. Vinarski is a malacologist based in St.-Petersburg, Russia. Currently, he is Professor, Head of Laboratory of Macroecology & Biogeography of Invertebrates, at St. Petersburg State University. His research focuses on the taxonomy, phylogeny, ecology, and biogeography of freshwater Mollusca. He authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and five monographs, many of which are devoted to the study of Lymnaeidae.


Antonio A. Vázquez is Associate Professor and the Head of the Laboratory of Malacology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Havana, Cuba, and a researcher at MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France. He has carried out several studies on the ecology, evolution, taxonomy, conservation and parasitology of freshwater snails. He has contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters related to malacology. Most of his field and experimental studies focus on the Lymnaeidae in countries from Latin America and Europe.