Caudal mucous pit
Encyclopedia
The caudal mucous pit, or caudal mucous horn, is an anatomical structure on the tail end of the foot of various land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
s and slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
s, terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
pulmonate gastropod mollusks.
The function of this pit is the resorption
Resorption
Resorption is a process by which a structure is remodeled.Types include:* Bone resorption* Root resorption...
of mucus
Mucus
In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
when the gastropod is moving (see also Muratov 1999).
An incorrect and yet often-used term for this structure is the "caudal gland".
This area also used to be referred to by the term "caudal pore".
Families
Families of snails and slug where a caudal mucous pit exists in every species include:- ArionidaeArionidaeArionidae, common name the "roundback slugs" or "round back slugs" are a taxonomic family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionoidea.- Distribution :...
: - EndodontidaeEndodontidaeEndodontidae is a taxonomic family of very small air-breathing land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Punctoidea....
- PolygyridaePolygyridaePolygyridae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.The Polygyridae make up a significant proportion of the land snail fauna of eastern North America, and are also found in western North America, northern Central America, and...
- HelicodiscidaeHelicodiscidaeHelicodiscidae is a family of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrialpulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Punctoidea .- Genera :...
- Daudebardiinae (a subfamily of OxychilidaeOxychilidaeOxychilidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Gastrodontoidea.- Distribution :...
) - UrocyclidaeUrocyclidaeUrocyclidae is a family of air-breathing land snails and semi-slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicarionoidea, ....
- HelicarionidaeHelicarionidaeHelicarionidae is a family of air-breathing land snails or semi-slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicarionoidea.- Distribution :...
- AriophantidaeAriophantidaeAriophantidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails and semi-slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicarionoidea .- Distribution :...
- Systrophiidae (Systrophiidae is a synonym for Scolodontinae, the subfamily of family ScolodontidaeScolodontidaeScolodontidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonategastropod mollusks in the superfamily Rhytidoidea .-Taxonomy:...
) - DyakiidaeDyakiidaeDyakiidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Dyakioidea ....
Families/subfamilies where is caudal mucous pit exists only on some species include:
- Ariopeltinae (a subfamily of OopeltidaeOopeltidaeOopeltidae is a family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionoidea .- Subfamilies and genera :...
) - CharopidaeCharopidaeCharopidae is a taxonomic family of small air-breathing land snails , terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Punctoidea .- Subfamilies and genera :The family Charopidae consists of the following subfamilies:* Charopinae Hutton, 1884 - synonyms:...
- BinneyidaeBinneyidaeBinneyidae is a family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionoidea .- Genera :The family Binneyidae has no subfamilies....
- Ariolimacinae (a subfamily of AriolimacidaeAriolimacidaeAriolimacidae is a family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionoidea .- Subfamilies and genera:...
) - AnadenidaeAnadenidaeAnadenidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Arionidae ....
- TrochomorphidaeTrochomorphidaeTrochomorphidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Eupulmonata ....
- HelminthoglyptidaeHelminthoglyptidaeThe Helminthoglyptidae are a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.This is a large and diverse group of new world snails, ranging in distribution from Alaska through North America to the West Indies, Central America, and as far...
- FerussaciidaeFerussaciidaeFerussaciidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Achatinoidea.This family has no subfamilies...
- SubulinidaeSubulinidaeSubulinidae is a family of small tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Achatinoidea.- Anatomy :...
- EuconulidaeEuconulidaeEuconulidae is a taxonomic family of minute, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks or micromollusks. This land snail family is closely allied to the Zonitidae, the glass snails.- Distribution :...
- ZonitidaeZonitidaeZonitidae, common name the true glass snails, are a family of mostly rather small, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Zonitoidea....
- Vitreinae (Vitreinae is a synonym for PristilomatidaePristilomatidaePristilomatidae is a taxonomic family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Gastrodontoidea.According to the 2005 taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi these snails belong to the "limacoid clade", and Vitreinae is a synonym for Pristilomatidae,...
) - GastrodontidaeGastrodontidaeGastrodontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Eupulmonata ....
Further reading
- Muratov I. V. (1999) "Analysis of the phylogenetic relationships and their systematic implications in the Limacoinei (=Zonitinia) infraorder (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Geophila)". Ruthenica 9: 5-26.