A large American group, which is mainly represented by species from the Caribbean, has, until recently, also been subsumed under the Camaenidae. However, latest molecular phylogenetic studies showed that these species represent a different family, the Pleurodontidae.[3][4]
This molecular study also implies that the Bradybaeninae, previously treated as a distinct family within the Helicoidea, is a junior synonym of the Camaenidae.
Anatomy
Camaenid shells are often quite large (25–50 mm), but a number of species also have small shells (<5 mm). Shells reveal a remarkable diversity in shape and colour, which is partly linked with their lifestyle. For instance, arboreal species tend to have large and conical shells, whereas terrestrial species often have rather flat shells. The shells of some taxa can be vividly coloured, showing banding or other conspicuous patterns, but others are plain and uniform.
This family is defined by a missing diverticulum and a missing stimulatory organ. It is suggested that the family Camaenidae as currently delimited is a polyphyletic taxon. There are no synapomorphies uniting this diverse family. The American group is closely related to the families Helicidae and Helminthoglyptidae, while the Australasian group is a closely related to the Bradybaenidae.[5]
In order to retain the Camaenidae as a monophyleticclade, the NeotropicalPleurodontidae will need to be removed as an independent family and the Bradybaenidae will need to be included. This taxonomic decision is currently pending a formal suggestion and wider acceptance among systematists, however.
In this family, the number of haploidchromosomes lies between 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).[6]
Subfamilies
Division into subfamilies has been suggested, however, given the unresolved relationships on the family level, the subfamilial treatments must be considered hypothetical. They do not reflect the results of comprehensive phylogenetic analyses and are not corroborated by current molecular data.
^Pilsbry H. A. (1895). Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. Second series: Pulmonata. Helicidae – Volume VII. 9(33a): xxxii.
^Wade, C.M., Hudelot, C., Davison, A., Naggs, F., Mordan, P.B. Molecular phylogeny of the helicoid land snails (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicoidea), with special emphasis on the Camaenidae. Journal of Molluscan Studies73: 411-415.
^Bouchet, P., Rocroi, J.P. Classification and Nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia47: 1-397.
^Scott B. 1996. Phylogenetic relationships of the Camaenidae (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicoidea). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 62: 65-73. Abstract
^Barker G. M.: Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, ISBN0-85199-318-4. 1-146, cited pages: 139 and 142.
^ abcdeKöhler F. (2010). "Three new species and two new genera of land snails from the Bonaparte Archipelago in the Kimberley, Western Australia (Pulmonata, Camaenidae)". Molluscan Research30(1): 1-16.
^Haas, F. (1933). "Zur Systematik der chinesischen "Helicodonten"". Archiv für Molluskenkunde. 65 (4/5): 230–231.
^Páll-Gergely B. & Asami T. (2014). "Additional information on the distribution, anatomy and systematics of living and fossil Chinese Plectopylidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)". Genus25(3): 527-564. PDF.
^Maassen W. J. M. (2009). "Remarks on the genus Chloritis in Sulawesi, Indonesia, with the descriptions of two new species (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Camaenidae)". Zoologische Mededelingen83HTMArchived 16 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
^Zhang, Guoyi; Liu, Zhongshu; Qi, Feng; Qaunyu, Zhang (2024). "Systematics and biogeography of the genera Pseudiberus Ancey, 1887 and Platypetasus Pilsbry, 1895 (Stylommatophora: Camaenidae), with the description of Pseudiberus shanheicus n. sp". Journal of Conchology. doi:10.61733/jconch/4510.
^Stanisic, J. 1996. New land snails from boggomoss environments in the Dawson Valley, southeastern Queensland (Eupulmonata: Charopidae and Camaenidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 39: 343-354
^ abcdefghijklmnoStanisic, J., Shea, M., Potter, D. and Griffiths, O. 2010. Australian Land Snails – Volume 1: A field guide to eastern Australian species. Bioculture Press, Mauritius, 591 pp.
^ abIredale, T. 1933. Systematic notes on Australian land shells. Records of the Australian Museum 19: 37-59
^Iredale, T. 1938. A basic list of the land Mollusca of Australia. Pt III. Australian Zoologist 9: 83-124
^Solem, A. 1992. Camaenid land snails from southern and eastern South Australia, excluding Kangaroo Island. Pt 1. Systematics, distribution and variation. Records of the South Australian Museum Monograph Series 2: 1-338
^Köhler, F. 2011. Australocosmica, a new genus of land snails from the Kimberley, Western Australia (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae). Malacologia, 53(2): 199−216
^Pilsbry, H.A. 1890. in Tryon, G.W. & Pilsbry, H.A. Manual of Conchology. Philadelphia : Conchological Section, Academy of Natural Sciences Ser. 2 Vol. 6 324 pp.
^Iredale, T. 1937. An annotated check list of the land shells of South and Central Australia. South Australian Naturalist 18: 6-59
^Thiele, J. 1931. Handbuch der Systematischen Weichtierkunde. Jena : Gustav Fischer pp. 377-778
^Stanisic J. (24 August) 2009. Crikey steveirwini gen. et sp. nov. from montane habitats in the Wet Tropics of northeastern Queensland, Australia (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Camaenidae). Zootaxa 2206: 62–68. abstract.
^ abKöhler, F. 2011. The camaenid species of the Kimberley Islands, Western Australia (Stylommatophora: Helicoidea). Malacologia, 54(1-2): 203–406
^ abcdClark, S. 2009. A review of the land snail genus Meridolum (Gastropoda: Camaenidae) from central New South Wales, Australia. Molluscan Research, 29:61-120.
^Zhang, W.-H. & Shea, M. (2008). A new genus and species of land snail of the family Camaenidae from New South Wales. Molluscan Research, 28: 123-132.
^Köhler, F. & Shea, M. (2012). Youwanjela, a new genus of land snail from the Kimberley, Western Australia (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae). Zoosystematics and Evolution, 88: 25-31.
Further reading
Köhler F. (2009) "Phylogeny and evolution of the Camaenidae in north-western Australia: A model case for the study of speciation and radiation". In: McDoughall C. & Hall N. (Eds.) Molluscs 2009: Program and abstracts. Malacological Society of Australasia, Brisbane, p. 55.
Wade C. M., Hudelot C., Davison A. Naggs, F. & Mordan P. B. (2007). "Molecular phylogeny of the helicoid land snails (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicoidea), with special emphasis on the Camaenidae". Journal of Molluscan Studies73(4): 411–415. doi:10.1093/mollus/eym030.