Athoracophoridae
Encyclopedia
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.
Athoracophoridae is the only family in the superfamily Athoracophoroidea.
Leaf-veined slugs live on the various land masses and islands in the south-west Pacific area.
The scientific name Athoracophoridae is derived from prefix "a-", that means "without" and from a Greek
word "θωραχοφὁρος" (thorachoforos), that means "breastplate
".
s lies between 36 and 45 (according to the values in this table).
, New Zealand
including its sub-Antarctic
islands, Bismarck Archipelago
, the Admiralty Islands
, the New Hebrides
, New Caledonia
, as well as on the Melanesian islands north to New Caledonia
and New Britain
, Papua New Guinea
.
, that follows classification after Grimpe & Hoffmann (1925):
Athoracophoridae has precedence over Aneitidae, because Athoracophoridae is in prevailing usage.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the leaf-veined slugs, are a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
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...
pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the infraorder Stylommatophora
Stylommatophora
Stylommatophora is a taxon of air-breathing land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. This taxon is currently considered to be a clade. It was previously regarded as an infraorder...
, 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
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, hence the common name.
Athoracophoridae is the only family in the superfamily Athoracophoroidea.
Leaf-veined slugs live on the various land masses and islands in the south-west Pacific area.
The scientific name Athoracophoridae is derived from prefix "a-", that means "without" and from a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word "θωραχοφὁρος" (thorachoforos), that means "breastplate
Breastplate
A breastplate is a device worn over the torso to protect it from injury, as an item of religious significance, or as an item of status. A breastplate is sometimes worn by mythological beings as a distinctive item of clothing.- Armour :...
".
Anatomy
In the family Athoracophoridae (in subfamily Aneitinae and in subfamily Athoracophorinae), the number of haploid chromosomeChromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
s lies between 36 and 45 (according to the values in this table).
Distribution
Species in this family are found in eastern AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
including its sub-Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
islands, Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
, the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
, the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, as well as on the Melanesian islands north to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Taxonomy
The following two subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005)Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
, that follows classification after Grimpe & Hoffmann (1925):
- Athoracophorinae P. Fischer, 1883 (1860) - synonym: Janellidae Gray, 1853 (inv.) - a subantarctic subfamily
- Aneitinae Gray, 1860 - a northern subfamily
Athoracophoridae has precedence over Aneitidae, because Athoracophoridae is in prevailing usage.
Genera
Genera within the family Athoracophoridae include:- Aneitea Gray, 1860
- Aneitea sarasini
- AthoracophorusAthoracophorusAthoracophorus is a genus of air-breathing, land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Athoracophoridae.- Species :Species in the genus Athoracophorus include:* Athoracophorus bitentaculatus...
GouldAugustus Addison GouldAugustus Addison Gould was an American conchologist and malacologist.-Biography:...
, 1852 - the type genus, 3 species - Palliopodex Burton, 1863 - with the only species Palliopodex verrucosusPalliopodex verrucosusPalliopodex 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.-References:...
(Simroth, 1889) - PseudaneiteaPseudaneiteaPseudaneitea is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial gastropod molluscs in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.-Species:Species within this genus include:* Pseudaneitea aspera Burton, 1963...
Cockerell, 1891 - ReflectopalliumReflectopalliumReflectopallium is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, specifically leaf-veined slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Athoracophoridae.-Species:Species within the genus include:* Reflectopallium delli Burton, 1963...
Burton, 1863 - TriboniophorusTriboniophorusTriboniophorus is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.-Species:Species within this genus include:...
Humbert, 1863
Further reading
- Burch J. B.John B. BurchJohn Bayard Burch is an American zoologist, a biology professor at the University of Michigan, and is the Curator of Mollusks at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. His research interests are broad, and have encompassed not only the anatomy, systematics, and genetics of mollusks, but...
(1968). "Tentacle retraction in Tracheopulmonata". Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 1(11): 62-67. - Burch J. B. & Patterson C. M. (1969). "Systematic position of the Athoracophoridae (Gastropoda : Euthyneura)". MalacologiaMalacologiaMalacologia is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of malacology, the study of mollusks. The journal publishes articles in the fields of molluscan systematics, ecology, population ecology, genetics, molecular genetics, evolution, and phylogenetics.The journal specializes in publishing...
9: 259-260. - Burton D. W. (1962). "New Zealand land slugs — Part 1". Tuatara 9(8): 87-97.
- Burton D. W. (1963). "New Zealand Land Slugs — Part 2". Tuatara 11(2): 90-96.
- Burton D. W. (1980). "Anatomical studies on Australian, New Zealand and sub-antarctic Athoracophoridae (Gastropoda : Pulmonata)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology 7: 173-198.
- Burton D. W. (1981). "Pallial systems in the Athoracophoridae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology 8: 391-402.
- Forcart L. (1973). "Notes on Veronicellidae and Athoracophoridae in Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago". Nautilus 87: 25-27.
- Grimpe G. & Hoffmann H. (1924). "Diagnosen neuer Athoracophoriden (Gastropoda, Pulmonata)". Zoologischer Anzeiger 58: 171-177.
- Oberzeller E. (1970). "Ergebnisse der Österreichischen Neukaledonien-Expedition 1965. Terrestrische Gastropoda II: Veronicellidae und Athoracophoridae." Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 74: 325-341. PDF.
- Plate L. H. (1898). "Beitrage zur Anatomie und Systematik der Janelliden". Zoologische Jahrbucher. Abtheilung fur Anatomie und Ontogenie der Thiere (Jena) XI: 193-269.
- Suter H.Henry SuterHenry Suter was a New Zealand zoologist, naturalist, palaeontologist, and malacologist.- Biography :...
(1897). "A revision of New Zealand Athoracophoridae". Journal of Molluscan Studies 2(6): 245-257. abstract. - Suter H. (1913). Manual of the New Zealand Mollusca. (Athoracophoridae, pp. 789-808, pl. 31, figs. 3-13.)
- Stanisic J. (1998). "Family Athoracophoridae". pp. 1109-1110. In: Beesley P. L., Ross G. J. B. & Wells A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne, CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5, Part B, pp. vi-viii, 565-1234.
External links
- "Athoracophoridae". Australian Government.
- AMNH