Helicina rhodostoma

Helicina rhodostoma is a species of tropical land snail with an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Helicinidae.

Helicina rhodostoma
Helicina rhodostoma.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Neritimorpha
clade Cycloneritimorpha
Superfamily:
Helicinoidea
Family:
Helicinidae
Genus:
Helicina
Species:
H. rhodostoma
Binomial name
Helicina rhodostoma
Gray, 1824[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Helicina goldfussi Boettger, 1887[3]
  • Helicina rhodostoma inermis A. J. Wagner, 1910[4]

Shell description

Robert John Lechmere Guppy (1868)[5] noted that this species is not found above 1000 m altitude.[2] Three names have been used for this species, but material by Robinson et al. (2009)[2] shows that the forms intergrade, illustrating the variability of the species. In general, populations from higher altitudes have a more pronounced columellar spine, and are more likely to have a red to reddish-orange aperture, as seen in typical Helicina rhodostoma.[2] Populations from drier, coastal areas tend to lack a columellar spine, and the aperture may be white or yellow.[2] Juvenile specimens of this species often have a hairy periostracum, which is gradually worn off as the snail reaches sexual maturity.[2]

An apertural view of the shell of Helicina rhodostoma. The height of the shell is 6.90 mm.
An apertural view of the shell of Helicina rhodostoma. The height of the shell is 9.24 mm. This shell shows the columellar spine.

Distribution

Helicina rhodostoma is endemic to the West Indian island of Dominica.[2]

Despite the fact that Helicina rhodostoma was originally erroneously described from Guadeloupe – and in subsequent reports from that island the error has been perpetuated – this species is undoubtedly a Dominican endemic.[2] It has not been found during subsequent surveys of Guadeloupe and Marie-Galante.[2] The fact that no museum material exists labelled “Guadeloupe”, not even in the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, indicates that the species has never been collected on that island.[2] The synonymy of Helicina goldfussi and Helicina rhodostoma inermis is confirmed by morphometrics and anatomical studies.[2]

Ecology

Helicina rhodostoma can be found living on trees, on ferns, and also between rocks and gravel.[2]

References

This article incorporates CC-BY-3.0 text from the reference.[2]

  1. Gray J. E. (1824). "Monograph of the genus Helicina". Zoological Journal 1: 62-71, pl. 5. Helicina rhodostoma is on page 68, pl. 6, fig. 9.
  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 Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Boettger O. (1887). "Vier neue westindische Pneumopomen". Jahrbücher der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 13: 102-104, pl. 4. Helicina rhodostoma is on the page 103, pl. 4, fig. 10.
  4. Wagner A. J. (1907-1911). "Die Familie der Helicinidae". In: Küster H. C. (ed.). Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz, (N.F.) 1(18:2): 1-391, pls 1-70. Helicina rhodostoma is on the page 327, pl. 66 figs 11-12.
  5. 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.
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