Altai Onion vs common freshwater nerite

Allium altaicum compared with Theodoxus fluviatilis

Key Differences

• Altai Onion is Near Threatened while common freshwater nerite is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Altai Onion	common freshwater nerite
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Cycloneritida (Cycloneritida)
Family	Amaryllidaceae	Neritidae
Genus	Allium	Theodoxus
Species	Allium altaicum	Theodoxus fluviatilis

Conservation Status

Altai Onion

NT — Near Threatened

common freshwater nerite

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Altai Onion	common freshwater nerite
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Altai Onion

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

common freshwater nerite

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries).

Altai Onion

The Altai Onion (Allium altaicum) is a species in the genus Allium. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

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.