Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Museums

Regional Maps

Superfamily AMPHIBOLOIDEA Gray, 1840


Compiler and date details

R.E. Golding, W.F. Ponder & M. Byrne April 2008

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.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
12-Feb-2010 (import)