Family HELICINIDAE

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Introduction

These top-shaped, operculate snails are terrestrial members of the gastropod clade Neritomorpha (or Neritopsina). They are are found mainly in the tropical regions of the Greater Antilles and in the Indo-Pacific region.

The family is absent from Europe, Africa, most of Asia, New Zealand, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands and most of Australia (Solem 1959). Australian species are found mainly in tropical rainforest or vine forest habitats of north-eastern Australia, where some are arboreal and others are associated with limestone outcrops. They typically have brightly coloured shells with most species showing variation in their colour patterns. An operculum is present and has an outer calcerous layer and, unlike that of many other neritopsines, lacks a peg on its inner surface, although sometimes a ridge is present. Some related taxa not found in Australia lack an operculum. There is no modern revision of the Australian species, but Scott & Kenny (1998) summarised the available information on the family.

The following species should be excluded from the Australian fauna according to Iredale (1937: 293): Helicina crassidens Tate, 1899; Helicina fulgurata Cox, 1868; Helicina suprafasciata Sowerby, 1874; Helicina turbinella Pfeiffer, 1855. Iredale (1945: 49) also excluded Helicina norfolkensis Pfeiffer, 1856 and Helicina pictella Pfeiffer, 1856.

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

HELICINIDAE: Helicina crassidens Tate, 1899 [American] — Iredale, T. 1937. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. The Australian Zoologist 8: 287-333 [12 Mar. 1937] [293]

HELICINIDAE: Helicina fulgurata Cox, 1868 [Fiji] — Iredale, T. 1937. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. The Australian Zoologist 8: 287-333 [12 Mar. 1937] [293]

HELICINIDAE: Helicina norfolkensis Pfeiffer, 1856 — Iredale, T. 1945. The land Mollusca of Norfolk Island. The Australian Zoologist 11: 46-71 [49]

HELICINIDAE: Helicina pictella Pfeiffer, 1856 — Iredale, T. 1945. The land Mollusca of Norfolk Island. The Australian Zoologist 11: 46-71 [49]

HELICINIDAE: Helicina suprafasciata Sowerby, 1875 [probably Vanuatu] — Iredale, T. 1937. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. The Australian Zoologist 8: 287-333 [12 Mar. 1937] [293]

HELICINIDAE: Helicina turbinella Pfeiffer, 1855 [non Australian] — Iredale, T. 1937. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. The Australian Zoologist 8: 287-333 [12 Mar. 1937] [293]

HELICINIDAE: Pleuropoma zebriolata Pfeiffer, 1855 — Solem, A. 1959. Systematics of the land and freshwater Mollusca of the New Hebrides. Fieldiana Zoology 43: 1-234 [179]

General References

Baker, H.B. 1922. Notes on the radula of the Helicinidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 74: 29-67

Benthem Jutting, W.S.S. van 1948. Systematic studies on the non-marine Mollusca of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. I. Critical revision of the Javanese operculate land-shells of the families Hydrocenidae, Helicinidae, Cyclophoridae, Pupinidae and Cochlostomatidae. Treubia 19: 539-604

Iredale, T. 1937. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. The Australian Zoologist 8: 287-333 [12 Mar. 1937]

Iredale, T. 1945. The land Mollusca of Norfolk Island. The Australian Zoologist 11: 46-71

Scott, B.J. & Kenny, R. 1998. Family Helicinidae. 702 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.

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. [40]

Solem, A. 1959. Systematics of the land and freshwater Mollusca of the New Hebrides. Fieldiana Zoology 43: 1-234

Stanisic, J. 1997. Shell and radular morphology of Australian Helicinidae. Australian Shell News 94: 1-2

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