Bulinus africanus-group species in West Africa differentiated by morphometric analysis (gastropoda, planorbidae)

Abstract

In the present study 241 shells from snails belonging to the Bulinus africanus-group in West Africa, were examined in a morphometric analysis including ten characters. Principal component analysis and stepwise discriminant function analysis were used for analysis of the data. It was shown that Bulinus umbilicatus, B. jousseaumei and B. globosus are clearly distinct on morphometric shell characters. Besides a general differentiation between the three species, the characters necessary for differentiation between them two by two are found. The knowledge of the geographic distribution of B. umbilicatus and B. jousseaumei is significantly improved. © 1989 The Malacological Society of London.