Ringicella
Encyclopedia
Ringicella is a genus
of tropical air-breathing land snail
s, terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae
.
Adult snails of this genus have an extremely unusual shell
morphology, very similar to that found in the genus Anostoma
Fischer von Waldheim, 1807, of which this genus was previously considered to be merely a subgenus
.
The adult snails in this genus carry their shells
upside down, with the spire
or apex
at the bottom, and the umbilicus at the top.
The shell of Ringicella is very similar to that of Anostoma
.
Shells of the genus Ringicella have an additional feature: the angular lamella and upper suprapalatal fold are concrescent, forming a perforation in the lip at its upper end.
In addition, the apertural rim incorporates a small tube, which communicates with the interior of the shell.
The width of adult shells varies from 18 to 25 mm.
This section is based on the anatomy of Ringicella ringens, which is also valid for the genus Anostoma
(according to 1901 information from Pilsbry).
Unlike the shell, the soft anatomy is not especially peculiar, in so far as it is known from Dr. Paul Fischer's (1857) account of Ringicella ringens.
of Ringicella (and also Macrodontes) is rather aberrant for Bulimulinae: the central and lateral teeth have no side cusps, the marginals have an ectocone; the basal plate is short. The jaw is smooth, arcuate. The teeth are as in the terrestrial Holopoda (see taxonomy of Holopoda) generally, the centrals and laterals with single broad cusps, marginals short, with the ectocone developed.
. The genitalia are exceedingly lengthened in Ringicella. The genitalia are of the haplogonous type, the long slender penis passing into a long vas deferens, upon which the penis retractor muscle is inserted; the duct of the globular spermatheca is extremely long. The elongation of the whole genital system is greater than in Helicoid snails generally, and doubtless correlated with the unusual length of the last whorl.
Araujo (1963) described male copulatory organs of Ringicella ringens as spirally coiled, that is different from previous description by Fischer and by Pilsbry.
are more separated than usual in the Holopoda. The cerebral ganglia are connected by a short narrow commissure
; the suboesophageal ganglia are as usual in the Bulimulinae.
Pilsbry (1901) mentioned Ringicella carinatum
as also occurring in Colombia
, in high forest
s of the Magdalena river
basin at 1830 m (6000 feet) above sea level, but Vera Ardila (2008) considers the presence of the species in Colombia to be doubtful.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of tropical air-breathing land snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
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 in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae
Orthalicidae
Orthalicidae are a family of tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks are classified in the informal group Sigmurethra of the clade Stylommatophora...
.
Adult snails of this genus have an extremely unusual shell
Gastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
morphology, very similar to that found in the genus Anostoma
Anostoma
Anostoma, common name the up-mouth snails, is a genus of tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae...
Fischer von Waldheim, 1807, of which this genus was previously considered to be merely a subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
.
The adult snails in this genus carry their shells
Gastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
upside down, with the spire
Spire (mollusc)
A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...
or apex
Apex (mollusc)
Apex is an anatomical term for the tip of the mollusc shell of a gastropod, scaphopod, or cephalopod mollusc.-Gastropods:The word "apex" is most often used to mean the tip of the spire of the shell of a gastropod...
at the bottom, and the umbilicus at the top.
Shell description
Anostoma
Anostoma, common name the up-mouth snails, is a genus of tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae...
.
Shells of the genus Ringicella have an additional feature: the angular lamella and upper suprapalatal fold are concrescent, forming a perforation in the lip at its upper end.
In addition, the apertural rim incorporates a small tube, which communicates with the interior of the shell.
The width of adult shells varies from 18 to 25 mm.
Anatomy
Anostoma
Anostoma, common name the up-mouth snails, is a genus of tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae...
(according to 1901 information from Pilsbry).
Unlike the shell, the soft anatomy is not especially peculiar, in so far as it is known from Dr. Paul Fischer's (1857) account of Ringicella ringens.
Radula
The jaw and teeth are as they are in Macrodontes. The radulaRadula
The radula is an anatomical structure that is used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared rather inaccurately to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the esophagus...
of Ringicella (and also Macrodontes) is rather aberrant for Bulimulinae: the central and lateral teeth have no side cusps, the marginals have an ectocone; the basal plate is short. The jaw is smooth, arcuate. The teeth are as in the terrestrial Holopoda (see taxonomy of Holopoda) generally, the centrals and laterals with single broad cusps, marginals short, with the ectocone developed.
Genitalia
The genitalia are essentially similar to those of OdontostomusOdontostomus
Odontostomus is a genus of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the tribe Odontostomini, in the subfamily Bulimulinae, within the family Orthalicidae.Odontostomus is the type genus for the tribe Odontostomini....
. The genitalia are exceedingly lengthened in Ringicella. The genitalia are of the haplogonous type, the long slender penis passing into a long vas deferens, upon which the penis retractor muscle is inserted; the duct of the globular spermatheca is extremely long. The elongation of the whole genital system is greater than in Helicoid snails generally, and doubtless correlated with the unusual length of the last whorl.
Araujo (1963) described male copulatory organs of Ringicella ringens as spirally coiled, that is different from previous description by Fischer and by Pilsbry.
Central nervous system
The cerebral gangliaGanglion
In anatomy, a ganglion is a biological tissue mass, most commonly a mass of nerve cell bodies. Cells found in a ganglion are called ganglion cells, though this term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to retinal ganglion cells....
are more separated than usual in the Holopoda. The cerebral ganglia are connected by a short narrow commissure
Commissure
A commissure is the place where two things are joined. The term is used especially in the fields of anatomy and biology.In anatomy, commissure refers to a bundle of nerve fibers that cross the midline at their level of origin or entry .* The most common usage of the term refers to the brain's...
; the suboesophageal ganglia are as usual in the Bulimulinae.
Distribution
This genus of snails occurs in Brazil.Pilsbry (1901) mentioned Ringicella carinatum
Ringicella carinatum
Ringicella carinatum is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae.- Distribution :This species occurs in Brazil....
as also occurring in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, in high forest
High forest (woodland)
High forest is a term for a woodland or forest with a well-developed natural structure. It is used in both ecology and woodland management, particularly in contrast with even-aged woodland types such as coppice and planted woodland....
s of the Magdalena river
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
basin at 1830 m (6000 feet) above sea level, but Vera Ardila (2008) considers the presence of the species in Colombia to be doubtful.
Species
Species within this genus include:- Ringicella carinatumRingicella carinatumRingicella carinatum is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae.- Distribution :This species occurs in Brazil....
(Pfeiffer, 1853) - synonym: Anostoma carinatum Pfeiffer, 1853 - Ringicella luetzelburgi (Weber, 1925) - synonym: Anostoma luetzelburgi (Weber, 1925)
- Ringicella ringensRingicella ringensRingicella ringens is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Bulimulinae, in the family Orthalicidae.- Distribution :This species occurs in Brazil.It lives on the ground....
(Linnaeus, 1758) - synonyms: Anostoma ringens (Linnaeus, 1758), Anostoma globulosa Lamarck, 1822, Anostoma globulosum Lamarck, 1822