Roundback Slugs
family infraclass “Pulmonata“
1 family, 2 species
The Arionidae slugs have a wide distribution across the Nearctic, Palearctic, and Oriental regions. They have unique anatomical characteristics, such as the absence of a keel on the back and a respiratory pore located in front of the midpoint of the mantle. The family includes several genera, including Arion, Geomalacus, and Letourneuxia. These slugs are known to be parasitized by the Sciomyzidae. This summary is based on public domain text from the reference.
Hierarchy
species of family “Roundback Slugs“
1 species
Distribution#
The distribution of this family of slugs includes Nearctic, Palearctic and Oriental regions.
Anatomy#
Unlike some slugs, European Arionidae have no keel on the back. The caudal mucous pit is above the tip of the tail. The respiratory pore (pneumostome) is in front of the midpoint of the mantle. The body length is up to 250 mm. The mantle covers only a part of the body and lies in the anterior part.The jaw is odontognathic, which means it is transversally ribbed. Radular teeth include: central tricuspid, lateral bi- or tricuspid, marginal bicuspid, all having broad bases. Teeth are often accreted. The digestive system forms 2 loops. The heart, in relation to body axis, is titled to the left. The kidney is circular (surrounding aorta). Cephalic retractors tend to divide into separate branches attached independently to the posterior part of pallial complex. The shell is strongly reduced in places, most often completely buried in the mantle, usually of loose crystals or plate-like. Genitalia: the penis is present only in some species, epiphallus is present in nearly all of them. Male copulatory organs are generally reduced, their role being taken over by a well-developed atrium and the epiphallus that produces spermatophores.In this family, the number of haploid chromosomes lies between 21 and 30 (according to the values in this table).
Genera#
Family Arionidae has no subfamilies according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005. The type genus of the family is Arion Férussac, 1819 Genera within the family Arionidae include:
Anadenulus Cockerell, 1890 Arion Férussac, 1819 Ariunculus Lessona, 1881 Carinacauda Leonard, Chichester, Richart & Young, 2011 Geomalacus Allman, 1843 Gliabates Webb, 1959 Hemphillia Bland & Binney, 1872 Hesperarion Simroth, 1891 Letourneuxia Bourguignat, 1866 Magnipelta Pilsbry, 1953 Prophysaon Bland & W. G. Binney, 1873 Securicauda Leonard, Chichester, Richart & Young, 2011 Udosarx Webb, 1959 Zacoleus Pilsbry, 1903
Parasites#
The parasites of the Arionidae slugs include the Sciomyzidae.
References#
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.
External links#
Round back slugs (Arionidae) on weichtiere.at.
The Arionidae slugs have a wide distribution across the Nearctic, Palearctic, and Oriental regions. They have unique anatomical characteristics, such as the absence of a keel on the back and a respiratory pore located in front of the midpoint of the mantle. The family includes several genera, including Arion, Geomalacus, and Letourneuxia. These slugs are known to be parasitized by the Sciomyzidae. This summary is based on public domain text from the reference.
Ancestry Graph
Further Information
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