Helicina rhodostoma

Helicina rhodostoma
Helicina rhodostoma.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Neritimorpha

clade Cycloneritimorpha
Superfamily: Helicinoidea
Family: Helicinidae
Genus: Helicina
Species: H. rhodostoma
Binomial name
Helicina rhodostoma
Gray, 1824[1]
Synonyms[4]
  • Helicina goldfussi Boettger, 1887[2]
  • Helicina rhodostoma inermis A. J. Wagner, 1910[3]

Helicina rhodostoma is a species of tropical land snail with an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Helicinidae.

Contents

Shell description

Robert John Lechmere Guppy (1868)[5] noted that this species is not found above 1000 m altitude.[4] Three names have been used for this species, but material by Robinson et al. (2009)[4] shows that the forms intergrade, illustrating the variability of the species. In general, populations from higher altitudes have a more pronounced columellar spine, and are more likely to have a red to reddish-orange aperture, as seen in typical Helicina rhodostoma.[4] Populations from drier, coastal areas tend to lack a columellar spine, and the aperture may be white or yellow.[4] Juvenile specimens of this species often have a hairy periostracum, which is gradually worn off as the snail reaches sexual maturity.[4]

Distribution

Helicina rhodostoma is endemic to the West Indian island of Dominica.[4]

Despite the fact that Helicina rhodostoma was originally errorneously described from Guadeloupe – and in subsequent reports from that island the error has been perpetuated – this species is undoubtedly a Dominican endemic.[4] It has not been found during subsequent surveys of Guadeloupe and Marie-Galante.[4] The fact that no museum material exists labelled “Guadeloupe”, not even in the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, indicates that the species has never been collected on that island.[4] The synonymy of Helicina goldfussi and Helicina rhodostoma inermis is confirmed by morphometrics and anatomical studies.[4]

Ecology

Helicina rhodostoma can be found living on trees, on ferns, and also between rocks and gravel.[4]

References

This article incorporates CC-BY-3.0 text from the reference.[4]

  1. ^ Gray J. E. (1824). "Monograph of the genus Helicina". Zoological Journal 1: 62-71, pl. 5. Helicina rhodostoma is on page 68, pl. 6, fig. 9.
  2. ^ Boettger O. (1887). "Vier neue westindische Pneumopomen". Jahrbücher der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 13: 102-104, pl. 4. Helicina rhodostoma is on the page 103, pl. 4, fig. 10.
  3. ^ Wagner A. J. (1907-1911). "Die Familie der Helicinidae". In: Küster H. C. (ed.). Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz, (N.F.) 1(18:2): 1-391, pls 1-70. Helicina rhodostoma is on the page 327, pl. 66 figs 11-12.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
  5. ^ 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.

External links