New mud snail species recorded in Türkiye

Meltem Özgenç - ANTALYA

A new mud snail species has been found in the southern province of Antalya and has been named after Thales, a philosopher from the ancient Greek city of Miletus, modern-day Türkiye’s Aydın, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has announced.

Amid the efforts to take an inventory of all aquatic ecosystems, especially fish, in rivers, lakes, and coastal and transitional waters in 25 basins across Türkiye, 5,300 species were recorded, more than 600 of which were seen for the first time in Türkiye.

A new mud snail species was also found between the borders of the Aegean province of Muğla and the southern province of Antalya.

The mud snail was named after Thales, one of history’s important scientific and philosophical figures, as he lived in the Miletus region, an ancient city whose ruins are located near the Aegean province of Aydın.

Deniz Anıl Odabaşı, a professor from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University who is involved in the project and named the snail, stated the discovery of this species in the region was “the proof of the water’s quality.”

The project is planned to be completed by the end of 2028.

Meanwhile, within the scope of the project launched in a bid to monitor water quality, over 850 clean water sources were identified, including 510 rivers, 184 lakes and 85 transitional and 74 coastal water bodies.

The mud snails have rounded shells with a high spire, an oval aperture and a siphonal notch.

This family of snails is found worldwide, and while they mostly live in shallow water, on sandy or muddy substrates, often intertidally, they are also sometimes found in deep water.

They can be present in very large numbers in suitable habitats as they are primarily active and lively scavengers.