Rathouisiidae
Encyclopedia
Rathouisiidae is a family
of air-breathing land slug
s, terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusks.
Systellommatophora
within the clade Eupulmonata
(according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005
). This family has no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005
).
Bornean Atopos specialising in Opisthostoma
are known to tailor their approach to the size of the prey. With small snails it holds the shells aperture-upward with the front of its foot and eats its way down. With larger ones it scrapes away the shell to allow access through the spire. This behaviour is thought to drive the evolution of shell ornamentation in Opisthostoma.
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 slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
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.
Taxonomy
The Rathouisiidae family is classified in the cladeClade
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...
Systellommatophora
Systellommatophora
The Systellommatophora is a clade of primitive, air-breathing slugs according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda...
within the clade Eupulmonata
Eupulmonata
The Eupulmonata is a taxonomic clade of air-breathing snails. The great majority of this group are land snails and slugs, but some are marine and some are saltmarsh snails that can tolerate salty conditions.-Linnean taxonomy:...
(according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by 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...
). This family has no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by 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...
).
Genera
genera within the family Rathouisiidae include:- Atopos Simroth, 1891
- Rathouisia Heude, 1884 - type genus of the family
Distribution
Predatory carnivorous Atopos live on Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, NE Australia and, recently, Singapore.Feeding habits
Rathouisiidae are carnivorous and they are feeding on gastropods, but also on fungi and plants.Bornean Atopos specialising in Opisthostoma
Opisthostoma
Opisthostoma is a genus of minute land snails with opercula, terrestrial gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Diplommatinidae.-Species:Species in the genus Opisthostoma include:subgenus Plectostoma* Opisthostoma everettii...
are known to tailor their approach to the size of the prey. With small snails it holds the shells aperture-upward with the front of its foot and eats its way down. With larger ones it scrapes away the shell to allow access through the spire. This behaviour is thought to drive the evolution of shell ornamentation in Opisthostoma.
External links
- photo of predating by Atopos (figure b)