Athoracophoridae | |
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Two individuals of Triboniophorus graeffei | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Superfamily: | Athoracophoroidea P. Fischer, 1883 [1] (1860) |
Family: | Athoracophoridae P. Fischer, 1883 [1] (1860) |
Subfamilies | |
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Athoracophoridae, common name the leaf-veined slugs, are a family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the infraorder Stylommatophora, the stalk-eyed snails and slugs. Many of the species have an attractive pattern on their dorsal surface which resembles the veins in a leaf, hence the common name.
Athoracophoridae is the only family in the superfamily Athoracophoroidea. [2]
Leaf-veined slugs live on the various land masses and islands in the south-west Pacific area. In te reo Māori, leaf-veined slugs are known as putoko ropiropi. [3]
The scientific name Athoracophoridae is derived from prefix "a-", that means "without" and from a Greek word "θωραχοφὁρος" (thorachoforos), that means "breastplate". [1] This is a reference to the fact that the mantle in these slugs is small and not well delineated; it does not have the obvious, saddle-shaped or breast-plate-shaped appearance that it does in most other land slug groups.
In the family Athoracophoridae (in subfamily Aneitinae and in subfamily Athoracophorinae), the number of haploid chromosomes lies between 36 and 45 (according to the values in this table). [4] While they belong to the pulmonate snails, they lack a true lung. The vascularized mantle cavity is reduced, and a series of blind tubules radiate from it, being surrounded blood vessels. This allows for a more compact lung structure in these generally flat animals. [5]
Species in this family are found in eastern Australia, New Zealand including its sub-Antarctic islands, Bismarck Archipelago, the Admiralty Islands, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, [6] as well as on the Melanesian islands north to New Caledonia and New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
The following two subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), [2] that follows classification after Grimpe & Hoffmann (1925): [7]
The name Athoracophoridae has precedence over the name Aneitidae, because Athoracophoridae is in prevailing usage. [2]
Genera within the family Athoracophoridae include: [8]
Heterobranchia, the heterobranchs, is a taxonomic clade of snails and slugs, which includes marine, aquatic and terrestrial gastropod mollusks.
Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includes many land and freshwater families, and several marine families.
The Systellommatophora is a clade of primitive, air-breathing slugs, according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda.
Helicoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora.
Athoracophorus bitentaculatus, is a species of land slug, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Athoracophoridae.
Palliopodex verrucosus is a leaf-veined slug, an air-breathing land slug or terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Athoracophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland Islands.
Pseudaneitea gigantea is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs. It was first described by Henry Suter in 1909.
Pseudaneitea papillata is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.
The Veronicellidae, also known by their common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a family of pulmonate terrestrial slugs.
Boettgerilla is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Boettgerillidae.
Urocyclidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, semi-slugs and land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicarionoidea,.
Bothriembryontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Orthalicoidea.
Triboniophorus is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.
Elasmognatha is a taxonomic grouping, a clade, of air-breathing land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs.
Plectopyloidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the suborder Helicina.
Sarasinula plebeia, commonly called the bean slug or the Caribbean leatherleaf slug, is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Sarasinula is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Urocoptoidea is a superfamily of land snails, gastropods in the suborder Helicina.
Semi-slugs, also spelled semislugs, are land gastropods whose shells are too small for them to retract into, but not quite vestigial. The shell of some semi-slugs may not be easily visible on casual inspection, because the shell may be covered over with the mantle.
Athoracophorinae, common name the leaf-veined slugs, are a subfamily in the family Athoracophoridae, which are air-breathing, stalk-eyed land slugs, or terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks. They are endemic to New Zealand, including its subantarctic islands.