Amphicyclotulus amethystinus

Amphicyclotulus amethystinus is a species of tropical land snail with a gill and an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Neocyclotidae.

Amphicyclotulus amethystinus
Amphicyclotulus amethystinus.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
informal group Architaenioglossa
Superfamily:
Cyclophoroidea
Family:
Neocyclotidae
Genus:
Amphicyclotulus
Species:
A. amethystinus
Binomial name
Amphicyclotulus amethystinus
(Guppy, 1868)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Cyclotus amethystinus var. α Guppy, 1868 (in part)
  • Cyclotus amethystinus var. β Guppy, 1868
  • Cyclophorus schrammi (Shuttleworth)
  • Amphicyclotulus mineri Bartsch, 1942
  • Amphicyclotulus (Amphicyclotulus) mineri Bartsch in Torre, Bartsch & Morrison, 1942
  • Cyclophorus amethystinus
  • Amphicyclotulus (Cycloblandia) amethystinus

Shell description

The shell is smooth, shining, not striate spirally, generally somewhat more depressed, deep chestnut or reddish brown. Whorls are a little flattened near the suture.[1] The species may have subtle spiral striation, although there exists considerable variation; axial growth lines are clearly visible.[2]

The operculum is horny, diaphanous, concave externally, cartilaginous within, the nucleus projecting internally; with from ten to fourteen very narrow whorls, their rather lamellar outer edges slightly free.[1]

Amphicyclotulus amethystinus has spiral threads absent or only weakly present.[2] There are found only two species in the genus Amphicyclotulus in Dominica. The other species is Amphicyclotulus dominicensis and it has spiral cords clearly present and raised.[2]

Apical view of the shell. Width of the shell is 14.1 mm.
Apical view of the shell. Width of the shell is 18.4 mm.

Robert John Lechmere Guppy (1868)[1] noted that this species is not found above 1000 m. Although he recognized two “forms”, he did not recognize two separate species. George French Angas (1884)[3] subsequently recorded “Cyclophorus amethystinus” from altitudes above 1200 m. Paul Bartsch (1942)[4] restricted the name amesthystinus to Guppy’s var. β, the “smooth, shining, not striate spirally” form.[2]

Distribution
Distribution of Amphicyclotulus amethystinus (green dots) and Amphicyclotulus dominicensis (one blue dot) in Dominica.

This species is endemic to in Dominica.[2]

The type locality is Laudat, Dominica.[2] The holotype is in National Museum of Natural History under number 535856.[2]

All known localities of Amphicyclotulus amethystinus include:[2]

References

This article incorporates CC-BY-3.0 text from the reference [2] and public domain text from the reference.[1]

  1. Guppy R. J. L. (1868). "On the terrestrial mollusks of Dominica and Grenada, with an account of some new species from Trinidad". Annals and Magazine of Natural History (4)1: 429-442.
  2. Robinson D. G., Hovestadt A., Fields A. & Breure A. S. H. (July 2009). "The land Mollusca of Dominica (Lesser Antilles), with notes on some enigmatic or rare species". Zoologische Mededelingen 83 http://www.zoologischemededelingen.nl/83/nr03/a13
  3. Angas G. F. (1884). "On the terrestrial Mollusca of Dominica, collected during a recent visit to that island". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883: 594-597, figs 1-3.
  4. Bartsch P. (1942). "The cyclophorid mollusks of the West Indies, exclusive of Cuba": 43-141. In: Torre C. de la, Bartsch P. & Morrison J. P. E. (1942). The cyclophorid operculate land mollusks of America". Bulletin United States National Museum 181: 1-306, pls 1-42.

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