|
Edentulina moreleti
Edentulina moreleti is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Streptaxidae. DistributionEdentulina moreleti is endemic to the Seychelles.[9] The type locality for this species is Silhouette Island.[9] It also occurs on Mahé.[9] Up to 1999 there were only 34 known specimens in collections.[9] DescriptionThe species gives live birth rather than laying eggs. The newborn snails are yellow in color.[10] Juvenile snails are also yellow with crimson tentacles.[10] Adult snails are dark brown,[10] but Martens (1898) described the body as red.[5] The reproductive anatomy and radula have been described by J. Gerlach & A. C. van Bruggen (1999).[9] The formula of the radula is 29 + 1 + 29.[9] Salivary glands are bilobed.[9] The color of the shell is a tan brown.[10] The width of the shell is 5.3-6.5 mm.[9] The height of the shell is 11.0-14.0 mm.[9] The shape of the shell is bulimoid.[9] The shell has 6.75-7.75 whorls.[9] There is no spiral sculpture on the shell.[9]
The only other species of Edentulina on the Seychelles is Edentulina dussumieri, which is the most abundant streptaxid snail there.[9][10] Edentulina moreleti is smaller than Edentulina dussumieri which is over 14 mm in shell height, and Edentulina dussumieri has spiral sculpture on the shell.[9] EcologyEdentulina moreleti inhabits habitats with high humidity and with many Dracaena reflexa plants.[10] The population density of this species is low: about 160 individuals at locality area of 2 ha.[10] Edentulina moreleti is ovo-viviparous.[10] Edentulina moreleti is the only known herbivorous streptaxid.[10] Other Streptaxidae are carnivorous.[10] Edentulina moreleti probably feeds on algae and decomposing plants, that occur on leaves of Dracaena reflexa.[10] They can be fed with carrot, apple and decomposing leaves in captivity.[10] References
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edentulina moreleti.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
