This species, like all planorbids, has a sinistral shell. The width of the shell is 15 – 20 mm. The keel on the periphery of the shell is near the edge closest to the spire side, which is carried downwards in life.
Ecology
The habitat of this species is shallow standing and slowly running freshwaters on a mud substrate, also ponds and temporarily drying flood waters, up to 1 metre depth. Planorbis planorbis does not tolerate intensive water movements but is tolerant to eutrophic conditions.
^Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 10th edition. - Vermes. Testacea: 700-781. Holmiae. (Salvius).
^ abHorsák M., Juřičková L., Beran L., Čejka T. & Dvořák L. (2010). "Komentovaný seznam měkkýšů zjištěných ve volné přírodě České a Slovenské republiky. [Annotated list of mollusc species recorded outdoors in the Czech and Slovak Republics]". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca, Suppl. 1: 1-37. PDF. (in Czech)
^Juřičková L., Horsák M. & Beran L. (2001). "Check-list of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic". Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem.65: 25-40.