Angustopila dominikae

Angustopila dominikae
Two views of the shell (above) and the same shell in the eye of a needle.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda

clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Orthurethra

Family: Hypselostomatidae
Genus: Angustopila
Species: A. dominikae
Binomial name
Angustopila dominikae
Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi in Páll-Gergely, Hunyadi, Jochum & Asami, 2015

Angustopila dominikae is a species of land snails, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Hypselostomatidae. It occurs in southern China, and is thought to be one of the world's smallest terrestrial mollusks (the holotype's shell height is 0.86 mm).[1] As is the case in most other members of the genus Angustopila, A. dominikae is a troglobiont species, and displays high levels of endemism.

Name

The snails were named after Páll-Gergely's wife, Dominika.

Physical Characteristics

The Angustopila dominikae holotype has a shell that is light grey in colour, which consists of 1.5 whorls when it is a protoconch. The protoconch is finely pitted and granular and collectively radiates from the nuclear whorl and ceases at the second.

Origin

This new species was found in a soil sample of limestone rocks at the base of a cliff in Guangxi and likely lives on the walls of the limestone.

Diet

The diet of these snails consist on microorganisms like bacteria and fungal filaments. Jochum hypothesizes that the round shape of the shells of these new species may enable them to wedge themselves into tiny cracks in rocks. It could also allow them to trap air bubbles in their shell and float in water if they become dislodged by rain, and also probably enables them to survive being eaten by a bird.[2]

Reproduction

These snails are most likely hermaphroditic and change their sex based on what other snails are around.

Conservation Status

Since the species is known from one site only, it is evaluated as Critically Endangered under IUCN criteria. Quarrying is quoted as the main threat to similar limestone habitats. However, no ongoing threats to the type locality are known at the moment.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Páll-Gergely, Barna; Hunyadi, András; Jochum, Adrienne; Asami, Takahiro (28 September 2015). "Seven new hypselostomatid species from China, including some of the world's smallest land snails (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Orthurethra)". ZooKeys. 523: 31–62. doi:10.3897/zookeys.523.6114. PMC 4602296. PMID 26478698.
  2. ↑ Main, Douglas (September 28, 2015). "World's Tiniest Snail Discovered in Southern China". Newsweek. Newsweek. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  3. ↑ Páll-Gergely, Barna; Hunyadi, András; Jochum, Adrienne; Asami, Takahiro. "Seven new hypselostomatid species from China, including some of the world's smallest land snails (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Orthurethra)". ZooKeys. 523: 31–62. doi:10.3897/zookeys.523.6114. PMC 4602296. PMID 26478698.
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