Athoracophoridae

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Athoracophoridae
Triboniophorus graeffei - Chatswood West.jpg
Two individuals of Triboniophorus graeffei
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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

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.

Contents

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.

Anatomy

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]

Distribution

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.

Taxonomy

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

Genera within the family Athoracophoridae include: [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heterobranchia</span> Clade of gastropods

Heterobranchia, the heterobranchs, is a taxonomic clade of snails and slugs, which includes marine, aquatic and terrestrial gastropod mollusks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulmonata</span> Informal group of gastropods

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Systellommatophora</span> Clade of gastropods

The Systellommatophora is a clade of primitive, air-breathing slugs, according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helicoidea</span> Superfamily of gastropods

Helicoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora.

<i>Athoracophorus bitentaculatus</i> Species of land slug

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.

<i>Pseudaneitea papillata</i> Species of gastropod

Pseudaneitea papillata is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veronicellidae</span> Family of pulmonate land slugs

The Veronicellidae, also known by their common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a family of pulmonate terrestrial slugs.

<i>Boettgerilla</i> Genus of gastropods

Boettgerilla is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Boettgerillidae.

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

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

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

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

<i>Triboniophorus</i> Genus of gastropods

Triboniophorus is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elasmognatha</span> Clade of gastropods

Elasmognatha is a taxonomic grouping, a clade, of air-breathing land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plectopyloidea</span> Superfamily of gastropods

Plectopyloidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the suborder Helicina.

<i>Sarasinula plebeia</i> Species of gastropod

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.

<i>Sarasinula</i> Genus of gastropods

Sarasinula is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urocoptoidea</span> Superfamily of gastropods

Urocoptoidea is a superfamily of land snails, gastropods in the suborder Helicina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semi-slug</span> Land gastropod

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athoracophorinae</span> Subfamily of gastropods

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 (in French) Fischer P. (21 February 1883). Manuel de conchlyliologie et de paléontologie conchlyliologique (5): 417-512. Savy, Paris. page 492.
  2. 1 2 3 Bouchet, Philippe; Rocroi, Jean-Pierre; Frýda, Jiri; Hausdorf, Bernard; Ponder, Winston; Valdés, Ángel & Warén, Anders (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". Malacologia . Hackenheim, Germany: ConchBooks. 47 (1–2): 1–397. ISBN   3-925919-72-4. ISSN   0076-2997.
  3. Ryan, Paddy (24 Sep 2007). "Snails and slugs - Flax snails, giant snails and veined slugs". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. Barker G. M.: Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs . CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, ISBN   0-85199-318-4. 1-146, cited pages: 139 and 142.
  5. Burton, W.D. (1982). "How to be sluggish". Tuatara. 25 (2): 48–63. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Burton D. W. (1982). "How to be sluggish." Tuatara25(2): 48-63. page 55.
  7. (in German) Grimpe G. & Hoffmann (1925). "Die Nacktschnecken von Neu-Caledonien, den Loyalty-Inseln und den Neuen-Hebriden." In: Sarasin F. & Roux J. (eds.) Nova Caledonia, A (Zoologie), Band 3, Heft 1-3: 337-476, plates 5-6.
  8. Powell A. W. B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand, ISBN   0-00-216906-1

Further reading