Oncomelania


Oncomelania

(ong'kō-mĕ-lā'nī-ă), A medically important genus of amphibious freshwater operculate snails of the family Hydrobiidae (subfamily Hydrobiinae; subclass Prosobranchiata). In Asia, several subspecies of Oncomelania hupensis serve as intermediate hosts of the oriental blood fluke, Schistosoma japonicum. [onco- + G. melas (melan-), black]