A comparative study of the external morphology of Theodoxus living in Antalya and around

This study aims to analyse and compare morphologicaly the structural characteristics of Theodoxus living in fresh waters in Antalya and near provinces. In the Thedoxus samples, which were collected from four different station, structures such as shell, operculum, radula, mantle edge, cephalic tentacles, eyes, penis and gill were analysed by stereo light microscope and scanning electron microscope. The structures of operkulum, radula and gill reflected significant differences in the samples based on regional differences. However, these differences were determined insignificant in the other structures. Operculum, was characterised particularly by the difference of peg structure and rib area. In the samples, radula is typically rhipidoglossate type and was determined different based on particullarly the region regarding to central and lateral teeth. In the mantle edges which has two layers, the only partial difference, apart from the colors, was determined in the width of the gap between the layers. Neritid feature scanned characteristically in the cephalic tentacles. Eventhough, eye is generally the dull and circular shape, only in the Olympos 1 samples, lens appearance was scanned. The penis structures were seen as a structure coming from the up right head and only in the Isikli Lake samples, mushroom-like papillae was determined.The comparison between the conducted analysis and existing resources shows that Theodoxus analiticus species in Isikli Lake, Theodoxus altenai species in Döşemealtı-Kırkgöz Lake, Theodoxus fluviatilis species and Theodoxus fluviatilis fluviatilis sub species in Olympos Stream, Theodoxus sp. sub species in Boğaçay- Arapsuyu (Konyaaltı) Stream are existed. The present results will be a referance to further studies to survey the kinship as well as the connection between the populations and the freshwater ecosystems.