Camaenidae
Encyclopedia
Camaenidae is a family of air-breathing land snail
s, terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea
.
This is one of the most diverse families in the clade
Stylommatophora
.
These snails occur in a wide variety of habitat
s in the tropics
of Eastern Asia and Australasia
.
A large American group, which is mainly represented by species from the Caribbean
, has until recently also be subsumed under the Camaenidae. However, latest molecular phylogenetic studies showed that these species represent a different family, the Pleurodontidae
.
This molecular study also implies that the Bradybaenidae
, currently being treated as a distinct family within the Helicoidea
, is a junior synonym
of the Camaenidae.
This family is defined by a missing diverticulum
and a missing stimulatory organ. It is suggested that the family Camaenidae as currently delimited is a polyphyletic taxon. There are no synapomorphies
uniting this diverse family. The American group is closely related to the families Helicidae
and Helminthoglyptidae
, while the Australasian group is a closely related to the Bradybaenidae
.
In order to retain the Camaenidae as a monophyletic clade
, the Neotropical Pleurodontidae
will need to be removed as an independent family, and the Bradybaenidae
will need to be included. This taxonomic decision is currently pending a formal suggestion and wider acceptance among systematists, however.
In this family, the number of haploid chromosome
s lies between 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).
The following three subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005)
(as based on a suggestion of Alan Solem)
A different taxonomy of Caemenidae has been used by Schileyko (1998–2003).
taxa with main occurrence in South-east Asia
Taxa with main occurrence in Papua New Guinea to Solomon Islands
Australian taxa
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
s, 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 superfamily Helicoidea
Helicoidea
Helicoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora.-Families:There are 19 families within the superfamily Helicoidea according to Bouchet & Rocroi .* Helicidae...
.
This is one of the most diverse families in the clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
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...
.
These snails occur in a wide variety of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s in the tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
of Eastern Asia and Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
.
A large American group, which is mainly represented by species from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, has until recently also be subsumed under the Camaenidae. However, latest molecular phylogenetic studies showed that these species represent a different family, the Pleurodontidae
Pleurodontidae
Pleurodontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.This family is classified within the clade Stylommatophora within the clade Eupulmonata...
.
This molecular study also implies that the Bradybaenidae
Bradybaenidae
Bradybaenidae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to small land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea....
, currently being treated as a distinct family within the Helicoidea
Helicoidea
Helicoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora.-Families:There are 19 families within the superfamily Helicoidea according to Bouchet & Rocroi .* Helicidae...
, is a junior synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
of the Camaenidae.
Anatomy
Camaenid shells are often quite large (25–50 mm), but a number of species also have small shells (<5 mm). Shells reveal a remarkable diversity in shape and colour, which is partly linked with their life style. For instance, arboral species tend to have large and conical shells, whereas terrestrial species often have rather flat shells. The shells of some taxa can be vividly coloured, showing banding or other conspicuous patterns, but others are plain and uniform.This family is defined by a missing diverticulum
Diverticulum
A diverticulum is medical or biological term for an outpouching of a hollow structure in the body. Depending upon which layers of the structure are involved, they are described as being either true or false....
and a missing stimulatory organ. It is suggested that the family Camaenidae as currently delimited is a polyphyletic taxon. There are no synapomorphies
Synapomorphy
In cladistics, a synapomorphy or synapomorphic character is a trait that is shared by two or more taxa and their most recent common ancestor, whose ancestor in turn does not possess the trait. A synapomorphy is thus an apomorphy visible in multiple taxa, where the trait in question originates in...
uniting this diverse family. The American group is closely related to the families Helicidae
Helicidae
The Helicidae, sometimes known as the typical snails, are a taxonomic family of small to large, air-breathing, land snails. In other words, they are terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks....
and Helminthoglyptidae
Helminthoglyptidae
The Helminthoglyptidae are a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.This is a large and diverse group of new world snails, ranging in distribution from Alaska through North America to the West Indies, Central America, and as far...
, while the Australasian group is a closely related to the Bradybaenidae
Bradybaenidae
Bradybaenidae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to small land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea....
.
In order to retain the Camaenidae as a monophyletic clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
, the Neotropical Pleurodontidae
Pleurodontidae
Pleurodontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.This family is classified within the clade Stylommatophora within the clade Eupulmonata...
will need to be removed as an independent family, and the Bradybaenidae
Bradybaenidae
Bradybaenidae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to small land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea....
will need to be included. This taxonomic decision is currently pending a formal suggestion and wider acceptance among systematists, however.
In this family, the number of haploid chromosome
Chromosome
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 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).
Taxonomy
Division into subfamilies has been suggested. However, given the unresolved relationships on the family level, these subfamilial treatments have to be considered hypothetical. They do not reflect the results of comprehensive phylogenetic analyses and are not corroborated by current molecular data.The following three 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...
(as based on a suggestion of Alan Solem)
- subfamily Camaeninae Pilbry, 1895 - synonyms: Amphidrominae Kobelt, 1902; Hadridae Iredale, 1937; Xanthomelontidae Iredale, 1937; Chloritidae Iredale, 1938; Papuinidae Iredale, 1938; Calyciidae Iredale, 1941; Planispiridae Iredale, 1941; Cristovalinae Schileyko, 2003
- subfamily Rhagadinae Iredale, 1938
- subfamily Sinumeloninae Solem, 1992
A different taxonomy of Caemenidae has been used by Schileyko (1998–2003).
Genera
Currently, 87 genera are accepted within the family Camaenidae:taxa with main occurrence in South-east Asia
- Camaena Albers, 1850 - type genus of the family Camaenidae
- AmphidromusAmphidromusAmphidromus is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.Amphidromus is a genus of arboreal pulmonate land snails...
Albers, 1850 - ChloritisChloritisChloritis is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.The genus Chloritis is restricted to South-east Asia with numerous species having usually small distributional ranges.- Shell description :The conchological characters of the...
Beck, 1837 - Moellendorffia
- Obba
- SatsumaSatsuma (gastropod)Satsuma is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.-Species:Species within the genus Satsuma include:* Satsuma japonica* Satsuma myomphala* Satsuma omphaloides...
- Stegodera
- Trachia
Taxa with main occurrence in Papua New Guinea to Solomon Islands
- Albersia
- Calycia H. Adams, 1865
- Canefriula
- Cryptaegis
- Crystallopsis
- Forcartia
- Ganesella
- Mecyntera
- Megalocron
- MeliobbaMeliobbaMeliobba is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.- References :*...
- Papuanella
- PapuexulPapuexulPapuexul is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.-References:*...
IredaleTom IredaleTom Iredale was an English-born ornithologist and malacologist who had a long association with Australia, where he lived for most of his life. He was an autodidact who never went to university and lacked formal training...
, 1933 - Papuina MartensEduard von MartensEduard von Martens sometimes known as Carl or Karl Eduard von Martens, was a German zoologist.Born in Stuttgart in 1831, von Martens attended universities in Tübingen, Stuttgart and Munich, graduating from the University of Tübingen in 1855. In 1860, he set off as part of an expedition to the Far...
, 1860 - PapustylaPapustylaPapustyla is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.- Species :This genus contains the following species:* Papustyla chancei Chance's Papustyla....
- Planispira Beck, 1837
- Rhynchotrochus
- Rhytidoconcha
- Smeatonia
Australian taxa
Further reading
- Köhler F. (2009) "Phylogeny and evolution of the Camaenidae in north-western Australia: A model case for the study of speciation and radiation". In: McDoughall C. & Hall N. (Eds.) Molluscs 2009: Program and abstracts. Malacological Society of Australasia, Brisbane, p. 55.
- Wade C. M., Hudelot C., Davison A. Naggs, F. & Mordan P. B. (2007). "Molecular phylogeny of the helicoid land snails (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicoidea), with special emphasis on the Camaenidae". Journal of Molluscan StudiesJournal of Molluscan StudiesThe Journal of Molluscan Studies is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in malacology.Previous names of this journal include Proceedings of the Malacological Society, Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London The Journal of Molluscan Studies is a peer-reviewed scientific...
73(4): 411-415. doi:10.1093/mollus/eym030.