Arion fuligineus

Arion fuligineus
Arion fuligineus (holotype)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Family:	Arionidae
Genus:	Arion
Species:	A. fuligineus
Binomial name
Arion fuligineus Morelet, 1845
Synonyms
Arion (Arion) fuligineus Morelet, 1845 · alternative representation

Arion fuligineus, is a large terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae, the round back slugs. ^[1]

Description

(Original description in French) The body is longitudinally wrinkled (or ridged) and terminates in an obtuse point. The cuirasse (armor/shell-plate) is irregularly bossed and very finely shagreen (textured like rough leather).

The locomotor sole is broad, and its borders are narrow. The tentacles are short.

The branchial cavity is positioned slightly forward. The mantle is a smoky brown color, which is very dark on the head and on the tentacles. The portion of the mantle that usually engages beneath the cuirasse remains colorless, as generally happens in the other species.

The locomotor sole is yellowish, especially anteriorly (at the front). Its margin is finely radiated striped, turning a bright yellow at the base of the neck, and reddish towards the other extremity. A small number of flattened concretions are present in the cuirasse. ^[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in Portugal and northern Spain.

References

1. Arion fuligineus Morelet, 1845 . 28 October 2025. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species .
2. Morelet, A. (1845). Description des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles du Portugal. Paris: Baillière. p. 30. Retrieved 28 October 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

• Bank, R. A.; Neubert, E. (2017). Checklist of the land and freshwater Gastropoda of Europe. Last update: July 16th, 2017.
• Breure, A.S.H., Audibert, C. & Ablett, J.D. (2018). Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet (1809-1892) and his contributions to malacology. Leiden: Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging. 544 pp.
• Welter-Schultes, F.W. (2012). European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification. Planet Poster Editions, Göttingen. A1-A3, 1–679, Q1-Q78.