Superfamily AMPHIBOLOIDEA Gray, 1840

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The Amphiboloidea are regarded as a basal superfamily of archaeopulmonate gastropods comprising a single small family, the Amphibolidae (Hubendick 1978). The group is characterised by a globose shell and the presence of an operculum in adults. Amphibolids are found in Indo-Pacific intertidal mangrove, saltmarsh and estuarine mudflat habitats. While this habitat is shared with many ellobiids and onchidiids, most other pulmonates are freshwater or terrestrial and all other pulmonates are inoperculate (Hubendick 1978). Despite their assumed basal phylogenetic position, very little was known about amphibolids (Fukuda & Kosuge 2000), with the systematics, anatomy and phylogeny of the family poorly understood. A study by Golding, Ponder & Byrne (2007), however, provides a comprehensive morphological and taxonomic review of the Amphiboloidea.

General References

Fukuda, H. & Kosuge, T. 2000. Gastropods II — Umi-maimai. pp. 138-147 in Sato, M. (ed.). Life in Ariake Sea; Biodiversity in Tidal Flats and Estuaries. Kaiyusha, Tokyo.

Golding, R.E., Ponder, W.F. & Byrne, M. 2007. Taxonomy and anatomy of Amphiboloidea (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Archaeopulmonata). Zootaxa 1476: 1-50

Hubendick, B. 1978. Systematics and comparative morphology of the Basommatophora. pp. 1-47 in Fretter, V. & Peake, J. Pulmonates. Systematics, Evolution and Ecology. London New York San Francisco : Academic Press Vol. 2A 540 pp.

History of changes