Helicopsis austriaca

Last updated

Helicopsis austriaca
Helicopsis striata austriaca.jpg
Living specimen of Helicopsis austriaca in Lower Austria
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Geomitridae
Genus: Helicopsis
Species:
H. austriaca
Binomial name
Helicopsis austriaca
Gittenberger, 1969
Synonyms [2]
  • Helicopsis (Helicopsis) austriacaE. Gittenberger, 1969 (basionym)
  • Helicopsis striata austriacaE. Gittenberger, 1969 (invalid combination)

Helicopsis austriaca is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies. [3]

Contents

This species is endemic to Austria.

Description

The right-coiled, semi-globular shell of Helicopsis austriaca is about 2.9-5.2 high and 4.9-8.4 broad, with about 4-4.5 whorls and shows strong ribs. [4] [5] Some individuals, at least 20% of each population, show a slight pronounced keel. The basic colour of the shell is creme-white with some brown colour bands. Like other representatives of the Genus Helicopsis it has four dart sacks, but only two of them contain love darts. [4] The outer shape of the penis resembles a club or ball, the penis itself is very variable in morphology, with partly open penial walls that are occasionally fused with the penis sheath This led to various arrangements of lacunae around the seminal duct. [5] Similar species are H. striata and H. hungarica. The latter one can be unambiguously separated from H. austriaca, as it has bigger shell dimensions. However small shells of H. striata can be confused with those of unkeeled specimens of H. austriaca. In this case a dissection ist required, as the internal genital characters of H. austriaca and H. striata are unique for each species.

Taxonomy

H. austriaca was originally described as a new species of Helicopsis , [4] but became later on a subspecies of H. striata. A recent comprehensive survey showed, that both H. austriaca and H. hungarica are no subspecies of H. striata, but separate species. [5] [2] [6]

Habitat and protection

H. austriaca inhabits two different types of habitat, which represent both primary natural steppe:

This species occurs only in Lower Austria. Under its former subspecific affiliation Helicopsis striata austriaca it is mentioned in the Annex II of the Habitats Directive.

Related Research Articles

<i>Caucasotachea vindobonensis</i> Species of gastropod

Caucasotachea vindobonensis is a large species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod in the family Helicidae.

<i>Quickella</i> Genus of gastropods

Quickella is a monotypic genus of land snail in the family Succineidae, the amber snails. It is known commonly as the sandbowl snail. The only species is Quickella arenaria.

<i>Hirasea</i> Genus of gastropods

Hirasea is a genus of small, pulmonate land snails in the family Charopidae. This genus sees its highest diversity in the Hawaiian Islands, but species are distributed throughout Japan and Polynesia.

<i>Conus nobrei</i> Species of sea snail

Conus nobrei is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.

<i>Helicella</i> Genus of gastropods

Helicella is a genus of small to medium-sized, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicellinae of the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies.

<i>Helicopsis</i> Genus of gastropods

Helicopsis is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicellinae of the family Geomitridae.

<i>Orcula austriaca</i> Species of gastropod

Orcula austriaca is a species of very small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Orculidae. This species is endemic to Austria.

<i>Orcula</i> Genus of gastropods

Orcula is a genus of land snails in the family Orculidae. It is the type genus of the family.

<i>Mercuria similis</i> Species of gastropod

Mercuria similis is a species of small freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae.

<i>Noricella oreinos</i> Species of gastropod

Noricella oreinos is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is endemic to Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camaenidae</span> Family of gastropods

Camaenidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea, the typical snails and their allies. This is one of the most diverse families in the clade Stylommatophora.

<i>Helicopsis striata</i> Species of gastropod

Helicopsis striata is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green ormer</span> Species of gastropod

The green ormer is a northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean species of sea snail, a coastal marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, the abalones or ormer snails.

<i>Conus anemone</i> Species of sea snail

Conus anemone, common name the anemone cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.

<i>Conus crocatus</i> Species of sea snail

Conus crocatus, common name the saffron cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.

<i>Xerocrassa geyeri</i> Species of gastropod

Xerocrassa geyeri is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae. It is also known as Trochoidea geyeri.

<i>Inchoatia</i> Genus of gastropods

Inchoatia is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Clausiliidae, the door snails.

<i>Helicopsis lunulata</i> Species of gastropod

Helicopsis lunulata is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Geomitridae from Eastern Europe.

<i>Helicopsis filimargo</i> Species of gastropod

Helicopsis filimargo is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Geomitridae from eastern Europe.

References

  1. ↑ Duda, M. (2019). "Helicopsis austriaca". In: IUCN 2020. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 01 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 Helicopsis austriaca on WoRMS
  3. ↑ MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Helicopsis austriaca E. Gittenberger, 1969. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1309806 on 2022-07-31
  4. 1 2 3 Gittenberger E. (1969). "Eine neue Art der Gattung Helicopsis (Gastropoda, Helicidae, Helicellinae) aus Niederösterreich". Basteria 33: 63-68. .
  5. 1 2 3 4 Duda M. , Haring E., Bieringer G., Eschner A., Mrkvicka A. & Mason K. (2018). "Taxonomic reassessment of Helicopsis austriaca Gittenberger, 1969 and its relationships to H. striata (O.F. Müller, 1774) and H. hungarica (Soos & H. Wagner, 1935) (Eupulmonata: Helicoidea)". Journal of Molluscan Studies 84: 432-450. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyy044
  6. ↑ Helicopsis hungarica on WoRMS
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.