The shell of the pointy riversnail can reach a height of up to 40 mm, and the whorls are strongly curved (Schaefer 2018). Viviparus contectus belongs to the family of gilled snails. A notable feature of these snails is that they possess a lid with which they can close the shell when necessary. They prefer habitats such as stagnant waters with abundant vegetation, including ponds and moor ditches. During winter, this species buries itself in the mud and does not feed. Pointy riversnails are ovoviviparous, with young individuals developing in the uterus and being born individually at a size of approximately 5 mm. The main threat to this species is habitat loss, such as the draining of ponds and water ditches (Patzner 2014).

Diet: The pointy riversnail is purely herbivorous and grazes on plants. Additionally, it can feed by filtering water (Patzner 2014).

Conservation status: According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the population density of the pointy riversnail is globally declining, and in Germany, this species is already considered “endangered”.