Family COCHLICOPIDAE Pilsbry, 1900
Pillar Snails
Compiler and date details
April 2012 - Dr John Stanisic
Introduction
This family of snails is native to northern Europe and North America. One species has been recorded as an introduction in several temperate parts of the world and recently was recorded from southern Western Australia (Kendrick & Sedgwick 1973). The few records from Australia are all from gardens in very damp situations under plant cover. The family Cochlicopidae is equivalent to Cionellidae of Smith (1992). The usage of the former follows Barker (1999).
Diagnosis
Cochlicopids are very glossy, thin, smooth, transparent shells with an internally thickened lip. Shells are quite slippery and sometimes difficult to pick up when alive. Shell shape changes with increasing growth from globose or oval in small juveniles to elongate pupiform in adults. Whorls are slightly rounded with slightly impressed to almost flush sutures. There is no umbilicus. The aperture is oval in shape and entire and the columella has a central twist. Shell colouration is generally yellowish to amber. The animals are bluish-grey in colour.
Diagnosis References
General References
Burch, J.B. 1976. Outline of classification of Australian terrestrial molluscs (native and introduced). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 3: 127-156
Kendrick, G.W. & Sedgwick, E.H. 1973. A new introduced land snail for Western Australia. Western Australian Naturalist 12: 146-147
Pilsbry, H.A. 1948. Land Mollusca of North America (North of Mexico). Academy of Natural Sciences Philadadelphia, Monograph 2(2): 521-1113
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. [208]
Smith, B.J. 1998. Family Cionellidae. pp. 1081-1082 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part B) pp. vi–viii, 565–1234.
History of changes
Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
16-May-2012 | 16-May-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
26-Apr-2012 | 26-Apr-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
12-Feb-2010 | (import) |