Geomalacus anguiformis
Geomalacus anguiformis is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Arionidae, the round back slugs.
| Geomalacus anguiformis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Arionidae |
| Genus: | Geomalacus |
| Subgenus: | Arrudia |
| Species: | G. anguiformis |
| Binomial name | |
| Geomalacus anguiformis | |
| Synonyms | |
Distribution
This species occurs in south Portugal (Serra de Monchique) and central Spain.[2]
Description
The slug is dark grey with brown hue.[2] It has lighter sides and two light colour bands with dark lower margins running along both sides of the mantle.[2] Mantle is elliptical, extending to tentacles in anterior part.[2] Tentacles are nearly black, thick and not very long.[2] When crawling, the slug has not always a regularly cylindrical shape, there are depressions and dilatations.[2] Sole is light creamy with darker medial zone, with yellowish or greenish hue.[2] Mucus is yellow.[2] Geomalacus anguiformis is 60 mm long (preserved 30 mm).[2]
Shell is elliptical, solid, upper side convex and lower side flat.[2]
The reproductive system is diagnostic feature: Geomalacus anguiformis has atrial diverticulum shorter than spermatheca duct[3] while Kerry slug Geomalacus maculosus has atrial diverticulum longer than spermatheca duct.[3] Geomalacus anguiformis has penis long, vas deferens very thin, spermatheca oval with long duct.[2] Geomalacus anguiformis differs from Geomalacus oliveirae in its atriopenis inserting at the prolongation of the atrial long axis (not laterally).[2]
Ecology
Geomalacus anguiformis was found in olive plantations, under bark.[2]
References
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[2]
- Morelet A. (1845). Description des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles de Portugal. pp. [1-3], I-VII [= 1-7], 1-116, Pl. I-XIV [= 1-14]. Paris. (Bailliere).
- "Species summary for Geomalacus anguiformis". AnimalBase, last modified 3 December 2009, accessed 9 December 2010.
- Platts, E. A.; Speight, M. C. D. (1988). "The taxonomy and distribution of the Kerry slug Geomalacus maculosus Allman, 1843 (Mollusca: Arionidae) with a discussion of its status as a threatened species". Irish Naturalists' Journal. 22 (10): 417–430.
Further reading
- (in German) Simroth H. (1891). Die Nacktschnecken der portugiesisch-azorischen Fauna in ihrem Verhältnis zu denen der paläarktischen Region überhaupt. Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum 56: [1], 201-424, Tab. IX-XVIII [= 9-18]. Halle. Geomalacus anguiformis is on page 355-359.