Amphicyclotulus amethystinus

Amphicyclotulus amethystinus
Amphicyclotulus amethystinus.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
informal group Architaenioglossa
Superfamily: Cyclophoroidea
Family: Neocyclotidae
Genus: Amphicyclotulus
Species: A. amethystinus
Binomial name
Amphicyclotulus amethystinus
(Guppy, 1868)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Cyclotus amethystinus var. α Guppy, 1868 (in part)
  • Cyclotus amethystinus var. β Guppy, 1868
  • Cyclophorus schrammi (Shuttleworth)
  • Amphicyclotulus mineri Bartsch, 1942
  • Amphicyclotulus (Amphicyclotulus) mineri Bartsch in Torre, Bartsch & Morrison, 1942
  • Cyclophorus amethystinus
  • Amphicyclotulus (Cycloblandia) amethystinus

Amphicyclotulus amethystinus is a species of tropical land snail with a gill and an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Neocyclotidae.

Shell description

The shell is smooth, shining, not striate spirally, generally somewhat more depressed, deep chestnut or reddish brown. Whorls are a little flattened near the suture.[1] The species may have subtle spiral striation, although there exists considerable variation; axial growth lines are clearly visible.[2]

The operculum is horny, diaphanous, concave externally, cartilaginous within, the nucleus projecting internally; with from ten to fourteen very narrow whorls, their rather lamellar outer edges slightly free.[1]

Amphicyclotulus amethystinus has spiral threads absent or only weakly present.[2] There are found only two species in the genus Amphicyclotulus in Dominica. The other species is Amphicyclotulus dominicensis and it has spiral cords clearly present and raised.[2]

Robert John Lechmere Guppy (1868)[1] noted that this species is not found above 1000 m. Although he recognized two “forms”, he did not recognize two separate species. George French Angas (1884)[3] subsequently recorded “Cyclophorus amethystinus” from altitudes above 1200 m. Paul Bartsch (1942)[4] restricted the name amesthystinus to Guppy’s var. β, the “smooth, shining, not striate spirally” form.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to in Dominica.[2]

The type locality is Laudat, Dominica.[2] The holotype is in National Museum of Natural History under number 535856.[2]

All known localities of Amphicyclotulus amethystinus include:[2]

References

This article incorporates CC-BY-3.0 text from the reference [2] and public domain text from the reference [1].

  1. ^ a b c d e Guppy R. J. L. (1868). "On the terrestrial mollusks of Dominica and Grenada, with an account of some new species from Trinidad". Annals and Magazine of Natural History (4)1: 429-442.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Robinson D. G., Hovestadt A., Fields A. & Breure A. S. H. (July 2009). "The land Mollusca of Dominica (Lesser Antilles), with notes on some enigmatic or rare species". Zoologische Mededelingen 83 http://www.zoologischemededelingen.nl/83/nr03/a13
  3. ^ Angas G. F. (1884). "On the terrestrial Mollusca of Dominica, collected during a recent visit to that island". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883: 594-597, figs 1-3.
  4. ^ Bartsch P. (1942). "The cyclophorid mollusks of the West Indies, exclusive of Cuba": 43-141. In: Torre C. de la, Bartsch P. & Morrison J. P. E. (1942). The cyclophorid operculate land mollusks of America". Bulletin United States National Museum 181: 1-306, pls 1-42.