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Truncatella (gastropod)

Truncatella is a genus of very small land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Truncatellidae. These minute snails live in land habitats close to seawater. They walk with a looping action, and the adults have truncated shells. Many of the species are small enough to be considered micromollusks.

Truncatella is the type genus of the family Truncatellidae.

Description

As implied by the name, these snails are notable for the way they modify their elongated shells as they mature, breaking off several of the apical whorls, and forming a relatively smooth seal for the remainder of the shell.

Locomotion

The method of locomotion used by Truncatella is unusual. Instead of gliding over a slime trail using minute waves in its foot, Truncatella uses a very large and muscular proboscis to reach ahead and grasp a surface, at which point the small foot releases its hold and the proboscis contracts to pull the animal forward, after which the entire procedure is usually repeated.

Distribution and habitat

This genus occurs in tropical and subtropical areas. The various species of Truncatella are pantropical in distribution, with a few exceptions such as Truncatella truncatula and Truncatella subcylindrica.

Most of the species in this genus live in a habitat that is neither fully terrestrial nor fully marine: they live under plant debris near high tide level, where they are occasionally wetted with seawater by waves. A small minority of the species are fully terrestrial.

These small snails are typically found associated with drifts of plant material, where their eggs are deposited.

The adaptations of these land snails to the terrestrial environment are not so perfect as they are in the more usual pulmonate land snails, and their terrestrial adaptations may in fact be comparatively recent.

Species

The genus Truncatella was erected by Antoine Risso (Risso, 1826) for T. costulata (now T. subcylindrica), which is the type species for this genus.

There are several genera within the Truncatellidae, but the eponymous genus Truncatella is the largest (in terms of number of species); other genera in the family are Geomelania, Taheitia, and Blandiella.

There are approximately 30 species in the genus Truncatella, including:

Synonyms

  • † Truncatella antediluviana <small>Deshayes, 1861</small>: synonym of † Bouryia antediluviana <small>(Deshayes, 1861)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Truncatella arcasiana <small>Crosse, 1868</small>: synonym of Taheitia arcasiana <small>(Crosse, 1868)</small>(original combination)
  • Truncatella atomus <small>Philippi, 1841</small>: synonym of Omalogyra atomus <small>(Philippi, 1841)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella aurantia <small>A. Gould, 1847</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • † Truncatella bezanconi <small>Cossmann, 1892</small>: synonym of † Murchisonella bezanconi <small>(Cossmann, 1892)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Truncatella bilabiata <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1840</small>: synonym of Truncatella pulchella <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1839</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Truncatella capillacea <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1859</small>: synonym of Truncatella pulchella <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1839</small>
  • Truncatella caribaeensis <small>Reeve, 1842, sensu Clench & Turner, 1948</small>: synonym of Truncatella pulchella <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1839</small> (misidentification)
  • Truncatella ceylanica <small>Pfeiffer, 1857</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata <small>Küster, 1855</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella concinna <small>Pease, 1871</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • † Truncatella costata <small>Cossmann, 1895</small>: synonym of Truncatella wattebledi <small>Benoist, 1878</small> (invalid; <small>not L. Pfeiffer 1839</small>)
  • Truncatella costata <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1839</small>: synonym of Truncatella scalaris <small>(Michaud, 1830)</small>
  • Truncatella costellifera <small>Pease, 1871</small>: synonym of Truncatella rustica <small>Mousson, 1865</small>
  • Truncatella costulata <small>Risso, 1826</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • Truncatella cristata <small>Crosse, 186</small>8: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • Truncatella cumingii <small>C. B. Adams, 1845</small>: synonym of Truncatella scalaris <small>(Michaud, 1830)</small>
  • † Truncatella cylindrata <small>Briart & Cornet, 1887</small>: synonym of † Bouryia cylindrata (Briart & Cornet, 1887) (superseded combination)
  • Truncatella debilis <small>Mousson, 1873</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • Truncatella desnoyersii <small>(Payraudeau, 1826)</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • † Truncatella distensa <small>Cossmann, 1888</small>: synonym of † Bouryia distensa <small>(Cossmann, 1888)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Truncatella elongata <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1856</small>: synonym of Geomelania elongata <small>(L. Pfeiffer, 1856)</small>
  • Truncatella fasciata <small>Tapparone Canefri, 1886</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • Truncatella ferruginea <small>(Cox, 1868)</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • Truncatella filicosta <small>Poey, 1858</small>: synonym of Geomelania elongata <small>(L. Pfeiffer, 1856)</small>
  • Truncatella floridana <small>Hubricht, 1983</small>: synonym of Truncatella pulchella <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1839</small>
  • Truncatella funiculus <small>Mousson, 1870</small>: synonym of Taheitia funiculus <small>(Mousson, 1870</small>) (original combination)
  • Truncatella fusca <small>Philippi, 1841</small>: synonym of Setia fusca <small>(Philippi, 1841)</small>
  • Truncatella futunaensis <small>Mousson, 1871</small>: synonym of Truncatella rustica <small>Mousson, 1865</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Truncatella gracilenta <small>W. G. Binney, 1858</small>: synonym of Truncatella californica <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1857</small> (nomen nudum)
  • Truncatella gracilenta <small>E. A. Smith, 1897</small>: synonym of Taheitia gracilenta <small>(E. A. Smith, 1897)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella haitensis <small>Weinland, 1876</small>: synonym of Geomelania haitensis <small>(Weinland, 1876)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella japonica <small>Pilsbry & Y. Hirase, 1905</small>: synonym of Truncatella pfeifferi <small>E. von Martens, 1861</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella juliae <small>de Folin, 1872</small>: synonym of Parthenina juliae <small>(de Folin, 1872)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella kiusiuensis <small>Pilsbry, 1902</small>: synonym of Truncatella pfeifferi <small>E. von Martens, 1861</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella labiosa <small>Souverbie, 1862</small>: synonym of Truncatella teres <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1857</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata <small>Küster, 1855</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Truncatella laevigata <small>Risso, 1826</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • Truncatella laevissima <small>Kuroda, 1956</small>: synonym of Truncatella pfeifferi <small>E. von Martens, 1861</small>
  • Truncatella lirata <small>Poey, 1858</small>: synonym of Geomelania lirata <small>(Poey, 1858)</small>
  • Truncatella lowei <small>Shuttleworth, 1852</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • Truncatella lubrica <small>Held, 1847</small>: synonym of Platyla polita <small>(W. Hartmann, 1840)</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella manchurica <small>(A. Adams, 1861</small>): synonym of Cecina manchurica <small>A. Adams, 1861</small> (superseded combination)
  • Truncatella mariannarum <small>Quadras & Möllendorff, 1894</small>: synonym of Taheitia mariannarum <small>(Quadras & Möllendorff, 1894)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella micra <small>Tenison Woods, 1878</small>: synonym of Truncatella scalarina <small>Cox, 1867</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella microlena <small>Monterosato, 1878</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • † Truncatella minor <small>Briart & Cornet, 1887</small>: synonym of † Bouryia minor <small>(Briart & Cornet, 1887)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Truncatella minuscula <small>de Folin, 1875</small>: synonym of Graphis albida <small>(Kanmacher, 1798)</small> (synonym)
  • Truncatella modesta <small>C. B. Adams, 1851</small>: synonym of Turbonilla rixtae <small>De Jong & Coomans, 1988</small> (junior homonym)
  • Truncatella montagui <small>R. T. Lowe, 1832</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • Truncatella pacifica <small>Pease, 1868</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • † Truncatella parisiensis <small>Deshayes, 1861</small>: synonym of † Bouryia parisiensis <small>(Deshayes, 1861)</small>
  • Truncatella pulchella <small>Pfeiffer, 1839</small> - beautiful truncatella - synonyms: Truncatella bilabiata, Truncatella bilabiata bilabiata, Truncatella bilabiata barbadensis.
  • Truncatella pellucida <small>Dohrn, 1860</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata f. pellucida <small>Dohrn, 1860</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata <small>Küster, 1855</small>
  • Truncatella porrecta <small>A. Gould, 1847</small>: synonym of Taheitia porrecta <small>(A. Gould, 1847)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella princeps <small>Dohrn, 1866</small>: synonym of Truncatella rostrata <small>A. Gould, 1847</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella punctata <small>Monterosato, 1878</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small>
  • Truncatella regina <small>Hubricht, 1983</small>: synonym of Truncatella clathrus <small>R. T. Lowe, 1832</small>
  • Truncatella scalariformis <small>C. B. Adams, 1845</small>: synonym of Truncatella scalaris <small>(Michaud, 1830)</small>
  • Truncatella scalariformis <small>Reeve, 1842</small>: synonym of Taheitia scalariformis <small>(Reeve, 1842)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella schneideri <small>I. Rensch, 1937</small>: synonym of Taheitia schneideri <small>(Rensch, 1937)</small>
  • Truncatella semicostulata <small>Jickeli, 1874</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata f. pellucida <small>Dohrn, 1860</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata <small>Küster, 1855</small>
  • Truncatella stimpsonii <small>Stearns, 1872</small>: synonym of Truncatella californica <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1857</small>
  • Truncatella striata <small>Reeve, 1842</small>: synonym of Coxiella striata <small>(Reeve, 1842)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella striatula <small>Menke, 1843</small>: synonym of Coxiella striatula <small>(Menke, 1843</small>) (original combination)
  • Truncatella subauriculata <small>Quadras & Möllendorff, 1894</small>: synonym of Taheitia mariannarum <small>(Quadras & Möllendorff, 1894)</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella succinea <small>C. B. Adams, 1845</small>: synonym of Truncatella caribaeensis <small>Reeve, 184</small>2 (junior subjective synonym)
  • Truncatella tatarica <small>Schrenck, 1867</small>: synonym of Cecina tatarica <small>(Schrenck, 1867</small>) (original rank)
  • Truncatella teres <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1857</small>: synonym of Truncatella marginata <small>Küster, 1855</small>
  • Truncatella truncatula <small>(Draparnaud, 1801)</small>: synonym of Truncatella subcylindrica <small>(Linnaeus, 1767)</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella turricula <small>Mousson, 1870</small>: synonym of Taheitia turricula <small>(Mousson, 1870)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella ultima <small>I. Rensch, 1937</small>: synonym of Taheitia ultima <small>(I. Rensch, 1937)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella valida <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1846</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small> (junior synonym)
  • Truncatella ventricosa <small>Reeve, 1842</small>: synonym of Tomichia ventricosa <small>(Reeve, 1842)</small> (original combination)
  • Truncatella vitiana <small>A. Gould, 1847</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>
  • Truncatella wallacei <small>H. Adams, 1865</small>: synonym of Taheitia wallacei <small>(H. Adams, 1865)</small> (original combination)
  • † Truncatella weixianensis <small>Youluo, 1978</small> (unavailable name)
  • Truncatella wrighti <small>L. Pfeiffer, 1862</small>: synonym of Geomelania lirata <small>(Poey, 1858)</small>
  • Truncatella yorkensis <small>Cox, 1868</small>: synonym of Truncatella guerinii <small>A. Villa & J. B. Villa, 1841</small>

References

External links