Spelaeoconcha paganettii
Original drawing by Robert Sturany
The Spelaeoconcha paganettii is a snail of the suborder of terrestrial snails ( gastropod ). It is the only way ( with three subspecies ) of the genus Spelaeoconcha, which in turn is the sole genus of the family Spelaeoconchidae. The nature with its three sub-species is cave dweller.
Features
The housings are rechtsgewunden and fusiform - hochkonisch. They have six to seven turns and measure 3.4 to 6.5 mm in height and 1.5 to 2.6 mm in diameter (thickness). The shell is strong, translucent (if fresh) and with brilliant, hardly sculpted surface. The mouth is not reinforced, the edges are excluded on the dorsal side, slightly thickened. The umbilicus is very narrow, but almost open and only partially covered by the spindle edge of the mouth opening. In the hermaphroditic reproductive system of the penis epiphallus is relatively short, very short. The flagellum is, however, well developed rounded tip. The vas deferens enters the epiphallus. The stem of the spermathecae is relatively thick and short, without diverticula. The reservoir itself is spindle- shaped and relatively large.
Occurrence, lifestyle and dissemination
The species is a caveman. So far, copies were found only in the debris of caves in Croatia and Bosnia - Herzegovina.
System
The position of the Spelaeoconchidae family or genus Spelaeoconcha is controversial. In Bouchet & Rocroi (2005 ) the family Spelaeoconchidae is placed in the superfamily Pupilloidea, Schileyko (1998) regards it as a subfamily within the Enidae. In the Fauna Europaea is the genus in the family Vertiginidae, subfamily Nesopupinae. The number of species is uncertain; generally only one type will be acceptable with three subspecies.
- Family Spelaeoconchidae A. J. Wagner, 1927 Genus Spelaeoconcha Sturany, 1901 Spelaeoconcha paganettii Sturany, 1901 ( with the nominotypischen kind Spelaeoconcha paganettii paganettii Sturany, 1901, the subspecies Spelaeoconcha paganettii polymorpha Wagner, 1927 Spelaeoconcha paganettii alphonsi Maassen, 1989)