Corresponding author: Eike Neubert (
Guest editor: Ruud Bank
In order to establish an updated checklist of terrestrial gastropod from Tunisia, a revision of the species of
Dans le but d’établir une liste actualisée des gastéropodes terrestres de la Tunisie, la révision des espèces appartenant à la famille des
The systematic position of members of this family has been debated since almost 150 years.
The family
This article mainly focuses upon the species occurring in Tunisia, but some problematic taxa from neighbouring countries are addressed as well.
Specimens were collected by hand during field studies conducted in Tunisia since 2005. Living animals were drowned in water for 36 to 48 hours and then fixed in 75% ethanol. Animals were dissected under a stereomicroscope using thin pointed watchmakers’ forceps. Anatomical details were drawn using a Wild camera lucida or photographed. Geographic coordinates of the sampling stations were recorded using a GPS, and a map illustrating the distribution of the species found to live in Tunisia is provided. All shell figures are scaled × 3 to provide a comparative aspect.
Key to acronyms used in figures: A – genital atrium; Ag – albumen gland; Bc – bursa copulatrix; Dbc – duct of bursa copulatrix; Div – coecum-like diverticulum; E – epiphallus; Osd – ovispermiduct; Pc – penial coecum; Ped – pedunculus; Mrp musculus retractor penis; Sg – stimulator gland; Sta – stimulator appendix; Std – stimulator duct; V – vagina; Vd – vas deferens.
Acronyms of collections studied: MHNG – Musèum d’Histoire Naturelle Genève; NEUB – private collection E. Neubert, Badenweiler; NHMW – Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; NMBE – Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern; SMF – Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Frankfurt.
Shell medium sized, helicoid, globose, shell walls thick, external surface slightly wrinkled, last whorl rounded, aperture rounded, umbilicus closed.
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Stimulator gland large, stimulator appendix branches off in a basal position; stimulator duct short, pointing into the large genital atrium with a small papilla.
Vagina very short and slender; pedunculus reaching half of the lenght of the whole bursa copulatric complex, diverticulum short and thickened, bursa copulatrix a well rounded vesicle.
This is a species of western Mediterranean distribution (
The species
The morphological details of the genital organs of dissected specimens from Tunisia compare very well with those presented by
Distribution of
Anatomical details.
No type specimens could be traced in any larger museum collection with holdings of specimens from the Pfeiffer collection. One syntype was figured by Pfeiffer in 1853 (“in der Gegend von Tunis, aus H. Cuning’s Sammlung”), another without reference to the collector by
Ichkeul National Park 13.02.08, coll. Abbes/15.
Shell nearly flat or with slightly elevated spire, upper shell surface with very coarse sculpture; last whorl keeled, aperture lenticular; umbilicus open to completely closed.
Shell medium sized, nearly flat or with slightly elevated spire; shell with 4 ½ flattened and regularly growing whorls; white yellowish in colour; suture shallow; upper shell surface with coarse and oblique, rib-like sculpture, lower shell surface with irregular wrinkles; last whorl sharply keeled; aperture lenticular; peristome discontinuous, parietal callus lacking; lip slightly thickened, often slightly reflected on the lower and columellar side; umbilicus wide and open, surrounded by a cord like ridge; there are specimens where the columellar reflection completely obscures the umbilicus.
(n = 15). H = 8.5 mm ± 1.37; D = 16.58 mm ± 0.79.
(
Stimulator gland very large, stimulator appendix branches off in a basal position; stimulator duct short, pointing into the genital atrium with a large papilla (
Vagina very short and slender; pedunculus short, reaching a third or even less of the lenght of the whole bursa copulatric complex, diverticulum short to reduced, bursa copulatrix a well rounded vesicle.
This species was only reported from Tunisia by
At first glance,
The differences in morphology of the genital organs to
7,
The history of the subgeneric classification of
Already
According to Schileyko’s classification of 2004, the lenticular shape of the shell and the open umbilicus automatically qualifies
Another species recorded by
Many nominal sphincterochilid species from NW Africa have to be reconsidered. For example, S.
We thank the curators who gave access to collections under their care or who provided us with type specimens or gave information on the whereabouts of specimens. Other colleagues helped us with valuable additions and comments on the paper (in alphabetical order): Jon Abblett (NHM London), Anita Eschner (NHMW), Yves Finet (MHNG), Ronald Janssen (SMF), and Sankuryie Pye (NMSZ Edinburgh). We are extremely grateful to Michel Bariche and Nancy El-Sayar (American University of Beirut) for providing us with a preserved specimen of
The senior author was supported by a grant of the Tunisian “Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et des recherches scientifiques” to visit the Senckenberg Museum, the Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, and the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de Genève.
The senior author is very grateful to “La direction générale des forêts, ministère d’Agriculture” to permit access to the National Parks and Natural Reserves, and to those people who helped her during the field work (in alphabetical order): Aymen Nefla, Mouldi Kharroubi and Ridha Ouni (Association amis des oiseaux, Tunisia).