alpine silverwort vs common freshwater nerite

Anthelia julacea compared with Theodoxus fluviatilis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	alpine silverwort	common freshwater nerite
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)	Cycloneritida (Cycloneritida)
Family	Antheliaceae	Neritidae
Genus	Anthelia	Theodoxus
Species	Anthelia julacea	Theodoxus fluviatilis

Conservation Status

alpine silverwort

LC — Least Concern

common freshwater nerite

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	alpine silverwort	common freshwater nerite
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

alpine silverwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

common freshwater nerite

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries).

alpine silverwort

The Alpine silverwort (Anthelia julacea) is a species in the genus Anthelia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

common freshwater nerite

<em>Theodoxus fluviatilis</em>, commonly known as the common freshwater nerite, is a small aquatic gastropod mollusc belonging to the family Neritidae. This species is widely distributed across Europe, with documented occurrences in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, and Sweden. It typically inhabits freshwater environments, including rivers, streams, and lakes, where it grazes on algae and biofilm on hard substrates such as rocks and submerged wood. The common freshwater nerite is assessed as Least Concern on conservation metrics, reflecting its broad distribution and relatively stable populations across much of its European range. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Theodoxus fluviatilis</em> plays an ecological role as a grazer in freshwater benthic communities, contributing to the regulation of algal growth on hard surfaces. The species typically favors clean, well-oxygenated waters and can serve as an indicator of water quality in freshwater systems. Its distinctive small, dome-shaped shell with variable patterning makes it recognizable among freshwater invertebrates.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden