A study was carried out to determine the distribution and habitat preferences of several species of the genus
Biomphalaria
. Samples were taken at 350 freshwater locations in Cuba. Three species of
Biomphalaria (
Biomphalaria
havanensis
,
Biomphalaria helophila
and
Biomphalaria pallida
) were recorded based on their distribution. Of the
three species,
B. havanensis has the weakest distribution because it was identified in only one locality. The other species,
B. helophila and
B. pallida, are abundant in rivers and dams and have large populations in Cuba. However, the
only species that appears to occur in ecosystems shared with thiarids is
B. pallida, possibly due to recent introduction
of thiarids, but always in fewer numbers. Here we discuss the possibility of these species to act as intermediary
hosts of
Schistosoma mansoni
in Cuba over the basis of occurrence in natural and anthropic habitats.
