Planaxidae Explained

Planaxidae, commonly called planaxids or clusterwinks, are a taxonomic family of small and minute sea snails, pantropical marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cerithioidea. They live on rocky shores in the littoral zone of the tropics and subtropics.^[1]

Characteristics

Planaxids are known as clusterwinks because of their habit of clustering together in concealed, moist locations when the tide is out. They have conical shells resembling periwinkles, except for the wide, shallow anterior canals. They brood their embryos in a chamber behind their heads, releasing them into the sea as veliger larvae to form part of the plankton.^[1]

Subfamilies

The following two subfamilies are recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):

• Planaxinae Gray, 1850
• Fossarinae A. Adams, 1860 - previously in a family of its own, named Fossaridae

Genera

The family Planaxidae comprises the following genera:^[2] The following genera are recognised:Planaxinae

• † Cabania Lozouet & Senut, 1985
• Fissilabia Macgillivray, 1836
• Halotapada Iredale, 1936
• Hinea Gray, 1847
• Holcostoma H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
• † Leioplanaxis Lozouet & Maestrati, 1994
• † Orthochilus Cossmann, 1889
• Planaxis Lamarck, 1822
• Simulathena Houbrick, 1992
• Supplanaxis Thiele, 1929

Synonyms:

• Angiola Dall, 1926: synonym of Hinea Gray, 1847
• Leucostoma Swainson, 1840: synonym of Fissilabia MacGillivray, 1836 (invalid: junior homonym of Leucostoma Meigen, 1803 [Diptera])
• Quoyia Gray, 1839: synonym of Fissilabia MacGillivray, 1836

Fossarinae

• Anafossarus Iredale, 1936
• Chilkaia Preston, 1915
• Fossarus Philippi, 1841
• Larinopsis J. H. Gatliff & C. J. Gabriel, 1916
• † Medoriopsis Cossmann, 1888
• † Vouastia Raspail, 1909

Synonyms:

• Fossar Gray, 1847: synonym of Fossarus Philippi, 1841 (invalid: unjustified emendation of Fossarus)
• Maravignia Aradas & Maggiore, 1844: synonym of Fossarus Philippi, 1841

References

• Strong E.E., Colgan D.J., Healy J.M., Lydeard C., Ponder W.F. & Glaubrecht M. (2011) Phylogeny of the gastropod superfamily Cerithioidea using morphology and molecules. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162: 43–89.
• Bouchet P., Rocroi J.P., Hausdorf B., Kaim A., Kano Y., Nützel A., Parkhaev P., Schrödl M. & Strong E.E. (2017). Revised classification, nomenclator and typification of gastropod and monoplacophoran families. Malacologia. 61(1-2): 1–526.

External links

• Gray, M. E., Figures of molluscous animals, selected from various authors. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London. Vol. 4, iv + 219 pp. (August)
• Houbrick R.S. 1987. Anatomy, Reproductive Biology, and Phylogeny of the Planaxidae (Cerithiacea: Prosobranchia). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 445: 1-57
  • Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
• GBIF

Notes and References

1. Web site: Family Planaxidae . Beechey, Des . 2008 . The Seashells of New South Wales . 2014-12-21.
2. Houbrick R. S. (1987). "Anatomy, Reproductive Biology, and Phylogeny of the Planaxidae (Cerithiacea: Prosobranchia)". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 445.