Helicinidae | |
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A live individual of Helicina rhodostoma | |
A live individual of Alcadia conuloides | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Neritimorpha |
Order: | Cycloneritida |
Superfamily: | Helicinoidea |
Family: | Helicinidae Férussac, 1822 |
Genera | |
See text | |
Diversity [1] | |
770-1400 species (estimation) |
Helicinidae is a family of small tropical land snails which have an operculum. They are terrestrial operculate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicinoidea.
These snails are not at all closely related to the air-breathing land snails, despite a superficial similarity of the shells. The name "Helicinidae" immediately reminds most people of "Helicidae", the most popular group of land snails including e.g. Helix pomatia, but the important two letters "ni" only from the Latin diminutive of the latter name alluding to superficial similarities of otherwise completely different things.
These snails are found in tropical and subtropical areas but they have an odd distribution: they are restricted to the Caribbean islands and some Indo-Pacific and Pacific islands, as well as the edge of the Asian and Australian continents. Some species are found in the southern United States, from Louisiana to Florida; others in Central and South America.
Helicinidae belongs to superfamily Helicinoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). [2]
This family consists of six following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):
Genera within the family Helicinidae include:
Subfamily Helicininae
subfamily Ceratodiscinae
Subfamily † Dimorphoptychiinae
Subfamily Hendersoniinae
Subfamily Stoastomatinae
Subfamily Vianinae
Subfamily ?
Achatinidae is a family of medium to large sized tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks from Africa.
Stylommatophora is an order of air-breathing land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. This taxon includes most land snails and slugs. Stylommatophorans lack an operculum, but some close their shell apertures with temporary "operculum" (epiphragm) made of calcified mucus. They have two pairs of retractile tentacles, the upper pair of which bears eyes on the tentacle tips. All stylommatophorans are hermaphrodites.
Clausiliidae, also known by the common name door snails, is a taxonomic family of small, very elongate, mostly left-handed, air-breathing land snails, sinistral terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.
Helicina is a genus of tropical and subtropical land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks.
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.
Euconulidae is a taxonomic family of minute, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the superfamily Trochomorphoidea.
Cyclophoridae is a taxonomic family of small to large tropical land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the order Architaenioglossa belonging to the subclass Caenogastropoda.
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).
Pupinidae is a taxonomic family of land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cyclophoroidea.
Neocyclotidae is a family of tropical land snails with gills and an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the informal group Architaenioglossa belonging to the clade Caenogastropoda.
Oleacinidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Eupulmonata.
Plectopyloidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the suborder Helicina.
Lucidella is a genus of land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Vianinae of the family Helicinidae.
Viana is a genus of land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Helicinidae.
Semitrochatella conica is a species of the genus Semitrochatella, land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Helicinidae.
Nesiocina is a genus of tropical land snails with an operculum. It is a genus of terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicininae of the family Helicinidae.
Vianinae is a subfamily of tropical land snail, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Helicinidae.
Schasicheila is a genus of land snails with an operculum. It is a genus of terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicininae of the family Helicinidae.
Sturanya is a genus of land snails with an operculum. It is a genus of terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicininae of the family Helicinidae.
species specific reading: