Caudal mucous pit

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Ovachlamys fulgens (family Helicarionidae) with caudal horn on the tail end of the foot. Ovachlamys fulgens 3.jpg
Ovachlamys fulgens (family Helicarionidae) with caudal horn on the tail end of the foot.
Drawing of the tail end of the body of Geomalacus maculosus showing supra-pedal grooves and triangular caudal mucous pit. Geomalacus maculosus 5.jpg
Drawing of the tail end of the body of Geomalacus maculosus showing supra-pedal grooves and triangular caudal mucous pit.
Drawing of Ariophanta interrupta shows the large caudal mucous pit on its tail end. Ariophanta interrupta.jpg
Drawing of Ariophanta interrupta shows the large caudal mucous pit on its tail end.
Dorsal view of Arion vulgaris shows caudal mucous pit on its tail end. Arion lusitanicus, Adultform.jpg
Dorsal view of Arion vulgaris shows caudal mucous pit on its tail end.
Arion rufus shows caudal mucous pit on its tail end. Rod skogsnegl.JPG
Arion rufus shows caudal mucous pit on its tail end.

The caudal mucous pit, or caudal mucous horn, is an anatomical structure on the tail end of the foot of various land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.

Land snail

A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to sea snails and freshwater snails. Land snail is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells. However, it is not always easy to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less amphibious between land and fresh water, and others are relatively amphibious between land and salt water.

Slug common name for an apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc

Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word slug is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a small internal shell, particularly sea slugs and semislugs.

Terrestrial animal animals living on land

Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water, or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Terrestrial invertebrates include ants, flies, crickets, grasshoppers and spiders.

Contents

The function of this pit is the resorption of mucus when the gastropod is moving [1] (see also Muratov 1999).

Resorption is the absorption into the circulatory system of cells or tissue, usually by osteoclasts.

Mucus slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes

Mucus is a polymer. It is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is a viscous colloid containing inorganic salts, antiseptic enzymes, immunoglobulins, and glycoproteins such as lactoferrin and mucins, which are produced by goblet cells in the mucous membranes and submucosal glands. Mucus serves to protect epithelial cells in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, visual, and auditory systems; the epidermis in amphibians; and the gills in fish, against infectious agents such as fungi, bacteria and viruses. Most of the mucus produced is in the gastrointestinal tract.

An incorrect and yet often-used term for this structure is the "caudal gland". [1] This area also used to be referred to by the term "caudal pore".

Families

Families of snails and slug where a caudal mucous pit exists in every species included: [1]

Arionidae family of molluscs

Arionidae, common name the "roundback slugs" or "round back slugs" are a taxonomic family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionoidea.

Endodontidae family of molluscs

Endodontidae is a taxonomic family of very small air-breathing land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Punctoidea.

Polygyridae family of molluscs

Polygyridae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.

Families/subfamilies where is caudal mucous pit exists only on some species included: [1]

Related Research Articles

Helicidae family of molluscs

Helicidae is a large, diverse family of small to large, air-breathing land snails, sometimes called the "typical snails."

Onchidiidae family of molluscs

Onchidiidae are a family of small, air-breathing sea slugs. They are shell-less marine pulmonate gastropod molluscs. Onchidiidae is the only family within the superfamily Onchidioidea.

Agriolimacidae family of molluscs

Agriolimacidae is a family of small and medium-sized land slugs, or shell-less snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.

Bradybaenidae family of molluscs

Bradybaenidae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to small land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.

Chlamydephorus is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Chlamydephoridae. It is the only genus within the family Chlamydephoridae.

Sagdidae family of molluscs

Sagdidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks with highest diversity in the Greater Antilles. It has been classified in its own superfamily Sagdoidea and as a member of the superfamily Helicoidea. Some species of Sagdidae are ovoviviparous.

Helicarionidae family of molluscs

Helicarionidae is a family of air-breathing land snails or semi-slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicarionoidea.

Hygromiidae family of molluscs

Hygromiidae is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.

Streptaxidae family of molluscs

Streptaxidae is a family of carnivorous air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora. Six Streptaxidae subfamilies are accepted in the 2005 taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi.

Philomycidae family of molluscs

Philomycidae are a family of air-breathing land slugs. They are terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionoidea.

Enidae family of molluscs

Enidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.

Cochlicopidae monotypic family of molluscs

Cochlicopidae is a taxonomic family of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cochlicopoidea.

Ellobiidae family of molluscs

Ellobiidae, common name the hollow-shelled snails, is a family of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Eupulmonata. Ellobiidae is the only family in the superfamily Ellobioidea, according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

Love dart darts that some snails shot into each other during mating

A love dart is a sharp, calcareous or chitinous dart which some hermaphroditic land snails and slugs create. Love darts are made in sexually mature animals only, and are used as part of the sequence of events during courtship, before actual mating takes place. Darts are quite large compared to the size of the animal: in the case of the semi-slug genus Parmarion, the length of a dart can be up to one fifth that of the semi-slug's foot.

Ariophantidae family of molluscs

Ariophantidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails and semi-slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicarionoidea.

Acavidae family of molluscs

Acavidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Acavoidea.

<i>Hyalimax</i> genus of molluscs

Hyalimax is a genus of small, air-breathing, land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Succineidae, the amber snails. This genus has no external shell, but it has an almost flat internal shell plate.

Suprapedal gland

The suprapedal gland or mucous pedal gland is an anatomical feature found in some snails and slugs. It is a gland located inside the front end of the foot of gastropods.

Terrestrial mollusc

Terrestrial molluscs or land molluscs (mollusks) are ecological group that includes all molluscs that lives on land in contrast to freshwater and marine molluscs.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Barker G. M. (2001) "Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology." in Barker G. M. (ed.): "The biology of terrestrial molluscs". CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, ISBN   0-85199-318-4. 1-146, cited pages: page 90 and pages 140-143.

Further reading

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