On Paludomus and Cleopatra (Thiaridae) in Africa and the Seychelles Islands

The freshwater prosobranch snail Paludomus ajanensis Morelet, 1860 (Thiaridae), described from north east Africa (Ras Hafun) but re-found with certainty only in the Seychelles Islands, has been classified by 20th century authors in the genus Cleopatra, according to the shell and operculum. Examination of whole animals recently collected in the Seychelles showed that this species is indeed a Paludomus. ‘Cleopatra’ ajanensis of authors should not be regarded as an Afrotropical element in the fauna of the Seychelles; it is rather an Asian faunal link with Africa, if the African provenance attributed to P. ajanensis is correct.