Xerocrassa simulata

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Xerocrassa simulata
Xerocrassa simulata 001.png
Shell of Xerocrassa simulata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Geomitridae
Genus: Xerocrassa
Species:
X. simulata
Binomial name
Xerocrassa simulata
Ehrenberg, 1831
Synonyms
  • Helix simulataEhrenberg, 1831 (original combination)
  • Xerocrassa (Xerocrassa) simulata(Ehrenberg, 1831) · alternate representation
  • Xerophila (Ereminella) simulata(Ehrenberg, 1831)
  • Xerophila simulata(Ehrenberg, 1831) (superseded generic combination)

Xerocrassa simulata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae. [1] It is endemic to southern Spain, specifically adapted to dry Mediterranean climates. Like other land snails, it undergoes a life cycle that includes egg laying, hatching of juveniles, shell development, and reproductive maturity as adults. These snails play a crucial role in their ecosystem by recycling nutrients and serving as prey for various predators, highlighting their ecological significance in their native habitat. [2]

Contents

Distribution

This species is common in the deserts and semideserts of the levantine region. Morphology varies greatly with locality. [3]

Life cycle

The size of the egg of this species is 2.6 × 2.1 mm. [4]

Xerocrassa simulata : Diet, Mucus Production, and Effects on Biocrust CO2 Efflux

Xerocrassa simulata (XS) exhibits a dietary preference for plant litter, distinguishing it from other desert snail species that primarily consume biological soil crust (biocrusts). In laboratory conditions, XS produces approximately 0.5 ± 0.1 mg of mucus per mg of body mass daily. Despite its dietary preference, XS mucus significantly affects biocrust activity through its deposition. The mucus increased CO2 efflux in both cyanobacteria-dominated and lichen/moss-dominated biocrusts, with consistent effects across different biocrust types (Hedges d effect sizes ranging from 1.28 to 1.44). For cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts, XS mucus enhanced CO2 efflux by 106% compared to controls. These findings suggest that XS mucus acts as a potent stimulator of biocrust activity, regardless of the snail's primary diet or the specific biocrust community composition [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastropoda</span> Class of molluscs

Gastropods, commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda.

<i>Aliculastrum</i> Genus of gastropods

Aliculastrum is a genus of small sea snails or bubble snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the family Haminoeidae.

<i>Tandonia budapestensis</i> Species of gastropod

Tandonia budapestensis is a species of air-breathing, keeled, land slug, a shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Milacidae.

<i>Trochoidea</i> (genus) Genus of gastropods

Trochoidea is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicellinae of the family Geomitridae. The name means "those that are shaped like a top".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land snail</span> Common name for many species of snail

A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slug</span> 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 semi-slugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mollusca</span> Phylum of invertebrate animals

Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals, after Arthropoda; members are known as molluscs or mollusks. Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000 additional species. The proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied.

<i>Sphincterochila zonata zonata</i> Species of gastropod

Sphincterochila zonata zonata is a subspecies of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Sphincterochilidae.

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

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

<i>Xerocrassa</i> Genus of gastropods

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

<i>Actinocyclus</i> Genus of gastropods

Actinocyclus is a genus of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs in the family Actinocyclidae, and was first described by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1831.

Xerocrassa montserratensis is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies.

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

Xerocrassa homeyeri homeyeri is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies.

<i>Phanerophthalmus</i> Genus of gastropods

Phanerophthalmus is a genus of medium-sized sea snails or bubble snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the family Haminoeidae, the haminoea bubble snails, part of the clade Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.

References

  1. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Xerocrassa simulata (Ehrenberg, 1831). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1262093 on 2022-08-06
  2. DeWitt, Thomas J; McCarthy, Thomas M; Washick, Denise L; Clark, Anne B; Langerhans, R Brian (2018-08-01). "Predator avoidance behaviour in response to turtles and its adaptive value in the freshwater snail Planorbella campanulata". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 84 (3): 266–274. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyy025. ISSN   0260-1230.
  3. Mienis, H.K., 2011. New or little known land- and freshwater molluscs from Israel 3. Xerocrassa simulata lothari, a new subspecies from some kurkar outcrops. Triton, 23: 35-38.
  4. Heller J.: Life History Strategies. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs . CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, ISBN   0-85199-318-4. 1-146, cited page: 428.
  5. Rinehart, S.; Shamir Weller, N. D.; Hawlena, D. (2022-04-01). "Snail Mucus Increases the CO2 Efflux of Biological Soil Crusts". Ecosystems. 25 (3): 537–547. doi:10.1007/s10021-021-00670-4. ISSN   1435-0629.

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