A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF LYMNAEIDAE FROM THE LOWER FRANKLIN RIVER, SOUTH WESTERN TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

The shell and anatomy of a new genus and species of Lymnaeidae,Kutikina hispida, are described from the Franklin River, S.W.Tasmania and the implications of this discovery, along withthe origins and relationships of the Australasian Lymnaeidae,are discussed. The new species lives attached to submerged limestonerock, has a very expanded shell aperture and, uniquely, theperiostracum bears short hairs. In addition there are apomorphicradular and anatomical characters separating this genus fromother lymnaeids. The new genus is compared with the other nativeAustralian Lymnaeidae. It is suggested that the taxonomy ofthe only other native Tasmanian species of Lymnaeidae, Austropepleatomentosa, a species widely distributed in temperate Australiaand in New Zealand, requires reexamination. Alternative hypothesesrelating to the zoogeography of the southern members of thefamily are discussed in relation to this taxon and the Recentgenus-group taxa of lymnaeids are listed in an Appendix andtheir differences from the new genus noted. (Received 20 June 1996; accepted 17 January 1997)