Mariaella beddomei

Mariaella beddomei
Drawing of the internal shell of Mariaella beddomei.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
clade Sigmurethra

clade limacoid clade
Superfamily:
Helicarionoidea
Family:
Ariophantidae
Genus:
Mariaella
Species:
M. beddomei
Binomial name
Mariaella beddomei

Mariaella beddomei is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Ariophantidae.

The specific name is in honor of Richard Henry Beddome.

Distribution

This species lives in India. It is endemic to Western Ghats.[2] Its localities include Travancore Hills.[3]

Shell description

The internal shell is thinner than in Mariaella dussumieri, shelly, flat and smooth beneath, white, with close, concentric lines of growth.[3] The length of the adult shell is 12 mm, the breath is 6.5 mm.[3]

Anatomy

The body of the animal varies greatly in color from uniform ochre to deep grey-black or spotted. There are no raised ridges on the shell-lobes. It is externally similar to Mariaella dussumieri, but larger, about 4 inches (100 mm) in length when fully extended.[3] It has more numerous teeth in the radula, the number in a row being 122 . 5 . 21 . 1 . 21 . 5 . 122 (148 . 1 . 148), and the shape differing somewhat. There are also differences in the genitalia, the spermatheca and the expansion in the free oviduct (ovitheca) having different forms.[3]

A slug from the Western Ghats of India. The species was earlier identified as Mariaella dussumieri but currently identified as Mariaella beddomei.

References

The article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[3]

  1. ^ Godwin-Austen H. H. 1888. Mol. Ind. i, page 243. Plate 58, figs. 1-1b (animal), 2-2 b (shell), plate 62, figs. 7-7a (jaw and radula).
  2. ^ Mavinkurve R. G., Shanbhag S. P. & Madhyastha N. A. 2004. Checklist of terrestrial gastropods of Karnataka, India. Zoos' Print Journal 19(11):1684-1686.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Blanford W. T. & Godwin-Austen H. H. 1908. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Mollusca. Testacellidae and Zonitidae. Taylor & Francis, London, page 206.