Genus Austrorhytida Smith, 1987

Museums

Regional Maps

• Austrorhytida Smith, B.J. 1987. Description of a new genus of carnivorous snail (Mollusca : Rhytididae). Victorian Naturalist 104(3): 86-90 [86].

  Type species:

   Helix capillacea Férussac, 1832 by original designation.

 

Introduction

Smith (1987) introduced Austrorhytida to accommodate a single species, A. capillacea, which ranged from central and southern New South Wales into Victoria. He distinguished this genus from other Australian rhytidid genera on the basis of radular structure. Stanisic et al. (2010), restricted A. capillacea to southern and central New South Wales, broadened the concept of the genus on the basis of shell characters and included several additional species from northeastern New South Wales. Austrorhytida is distinguished from Annabellia by the combination of smaller protoconch, having apical whorls with both radial and spiral sculpture, adult whorls with strong radial sculpture and almost complete lack of spiral sculpture and having a subdiscoidal shell with wide umbilicus. Animals of Austrorhytida are generally grey with a paler dorsal stripe.

 

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

RHYTIDIDAE: Amphidoxa lavinia Hutton, 1884 [listed from Sydney, NSW, see Iredale (1938: 119), Smith (1992)]

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

SE NSW to ME NSW

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Nandewar (NAN), NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH) ; Tas, Vic: King (KIN)

Distribution References

Diagnosis

Shell medium-sized to relatively large, discoidal to subdiscoidal with a low-domed spire, whorls rounded to angulate; protoconch sculptured with weak radial ridges and very fine microspiral striae, teleoconch sculpture of prominent regular radials above usually becoming obsolete at the end of the last whorl, smooth below; umbilicus wide, U-shaped. Colour yellow to reddish-brown often with darker radial streaks.

 

Diagnosis References

Stanisic, J., Shea, M., Potter, D. & Griffiths, O. 2010. Australian Land Snails. A field guide to eastern Australian species. Mauritius : Bioculture Press Vol. 1 595 pp. [128]

 

General References

Iredale, T. 1938. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. Pt III. The Australian Zoologist 9: 83-124 [Date published 30 Nov. 1938]

Smith, B.J. 1987. Description of a new genus of carnivorous snail (Mollusca : Rhytididae). Victorian Naturalist 104(3): 86-90

Smith, B.J. 1992. Non-Marine Mollusca. In, Houston, W.W.K. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Non-marine Mollusca. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 8 xii 408 pp.

Stanisic, J., Shea, M., Potter, D. & Griffiths, O. 2010. Australian Land Snails. A field guide to eastern Australian species. Mauritius : Bioculture Press Vol. 1 595 pp. [128]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
12-Apr-2022	HELICINA	08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED
06-May-2020	STYLOMMATOPHORA	08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED
06-May-2020	HELICINA	08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED
04-Dec-2018	HETEROBRANCHIA	08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED
03-Oct-2018	HETEROBRANCHIA	08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED	Ingo Burghardt (AM) Ms Anouk Mututantri
03-Jan-2013		08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED
		08-Mar-2024	MODIFIED