Family GADILIDAE

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Introduction

This family is generally split into two subfamilies: the Siphodentaliinae (not recorded from Australian waters) and the Gadilinae. Although both groups have glossy white shells, the Gadilinae can be recognised immediately by the presence of a contracted aperture (variably developed, maximum diameter shell occurring posteriorly from the aperture) (Palmer 1974; Boss 1982; Steiner 1992; Lamprell & Healy 1998; Steiner & Palmer 1998). The majority of Australian Gadilida are referred to this subfamily. Many live in relatively deep water and thus are seldom obtained as live specimens.

The Australian fauna includes species of the following genera: Gadila (nine species), Cadulus (five), Dischides (two) and Polyschides (three) (Lamprell & Healy 1998). Cadulus have a white, ring-shaped callous inside the apical orifice (callous lacking in Gadila) (Pilsbry & Sharp 1897–1898; Palmer 1974; Lamprell & Healy 1998). Most described Australian species of Cadulus are herein transferred to Gadila because of the absence of the Cadulus ring callous internally. The apical slits which differentiate Dischides (two apical slits) and Polyschides (more than two apical slits) from other Gadilidae are sometimes broken off, and for this reason correct identification of material ideally should be based on an examination of multiple specimens from any locality.

Four Australian fossil gadilids have been described from the Lower Miocene to Upper Pliocene of Victoria and South Australia (Tate 1887, 1899; Ludbrook 1956, 1959)

General References

Boss, K.J. 1982. Mollusca. pp. 945-1166 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Book Company Vol. 1. [1166]

Lamprell, K.L. & Healy, J.M. 1998. A revision of the Scaphopoda from Australian waters (Mollusca). Records of the Australian Museum Suppl. 24: 1-189

Ludbrook, N.H. 1956. The molluscan fauna of the Pliocene strata underlying the Adelaide Plains. Part III — Scaphopoda, Polyplacophora, Gastropoda (Haliotidae to Tornidae). Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 79: 1-36 pls 1-2

Ludbrook, N.H. 1959. Revision of the Tate molluscan types—Scaphopoda. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 82: 141-149 pls 1-2

Palmer, C.P. 1974. A supraspecific classification of the scaphopod Mollusca. Veliger 17: 115-123

Pilsbry, H.A. & Sharp, B. 1898. [1897–1898]. Scaphopoda. i-xxxii 1-280 pls 1-39 in Tryon, G.W. Jr (ed.). Manual of Conchology. Philadelphia : Academy of Sciences Vol. 17. [1897: 1–144 pls 1–26; 1898: i–xxxii + 145–280 pls 27–37 Vanatta, E.G. 1927. Dates of publication of the parts of the Manual of Conchology, First Series (Cephalopoda, Marine Gastropoda, Polyplacophora, Scaphopoda). Nautilus 40: 96–99]

Steiner, G. 1992. Phylogeny and classification of Scaphopoda. Journal of Molluscan Studies 58: 385-400

Steiner, G. & Palmer, C.P. 1998. Scaphopoda. pp. 431-450 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part A) pp. xvi, 1-563.

Tate, R. 1887. The Scaphopoda of the older Tertiary of Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 9: 190-194 pl. 20

Tate, R. 1899. A revision of the Older Tertiary Mollusca of Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 23: 249-277

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