Pommerhelix monacha explained

Pommerhelix monacha is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Camaenidae.^[1]

This species is found in eastern Australia.

Distribution

This snail is found in high altitude rainforests in Blue Mountains, central eastern New South Wales, Australia.

The type locality is "Australia", which can be specified to Sassafras Gully, Springwood, New South Wales, Australia.

Description

The shell of Pommerhelix monacha is subglobose (almost round). The shell has 5.6–6.0 whorls. The color of the shell is dark brown to black, but it can also be dark red or purple in colour. The shell sculpture consists of zigzag ridges combined with small ridges on the periostracum. The umbilicus is closed. The aperture is roundly ovate in shape.

The width of the shell is 26.2-30.3 mm. The height of the shell is 18.1-23.2 mm.

The visible soft parts are a yellowish grey in colour:^[2] the body is grey to dark grey and the mantle is dark yellow or orange.

References

• Mclauchlan, C. F. (1954). Three new land shells from New South Wales. Australian Zoologist. 12: 39.
• Clark, S.A. (2009). A review of the land snail genus Meridolum (Gastropoda: Camaenidae) from central New South Wales, Australia. Molluscan Research. 29(2): 61–120.

External links

• Pfeiffer, L. (1859). Descriptions of twenty-seven new species of land-shells, from the collection of H. Cuming, Esq. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 27 (385): 23–29, pls 43–44. London
• Crosse H. (1864). Diagnoses de mollusques terrestres nouveaux. Journal de Conchyliologie. 12(3): 282-286

Notes and References

1. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Pommerhelix monacha (Pfeiffer, 1859). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1149995 on 2022-02-06
2. Michael Shea, Australian Museum, personal communication.