''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of very large, air-breathing

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...

s, terrestrial

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Bothriembryontidae Bothriembryontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Orthalicoidea. Taxonomy This family has been named Placostylidae and had no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of th ...

.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placostylus H. Beck, 1837. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818479 on 2020-11-14 The shells of the snails in this genus can be as large as 4.5 inches (11 cm) in maximum dimension. Many species within this genus are now

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

Taxonomy

''Placostylus'' is the type genus of the family Placostylidae. It was placed within Placostylidae. Breure et al. (2010)Breure A. S. H., Groenenberg D. S. J. & Schilthuizen M. (2010). "New insights in the phylogenetic relations within the Orthalicoidea (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora) based on 28S sequence data". '' Basteria'' 74(1-3): 25-31. moved ''

Prestonella ''Prestonella'' is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.Breure A. S. H. & Romero P. (2012). "Support and surprises: molecular phylogeny of the land snail superfamily Ort ...

'' and ''

Bothriembryon ''Bothriembryon'' is a genus of tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Bothriembryontidae. B. J. Smith (1992) made the last review of the genus summarizing all known data. Distribution The l ...

'' to Placostylidae. Subsequently, Breure & Romero (2012) confirmed previous results from 2010 and they renamed Placostylidae to Bothriembryontidae.Breure A. S. H. & Romero P. (2012). "Support and surprises: molecular phylogeny of the land snail superfamily Orthalicoidea using a three-locus gene analysis with a divergence time analysis and ancestral area reconstruction (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora)". '' Archiv für Molluskenkunde: International Journal of Malacology'' 141(1): 1-20. .

Distribution

This genus of snails occurs in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

, and Northland in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. There are three species in New Zealand and no subspecies.Buckley T. R., Stringer I., Gleeson D., Howitt R., Attanayake D., Parrish R., Sherley G. & Rohan M. (2011). "A revision of the New Zealand ''Placostylus'' land snails using mitochondrial DNA and shell morphometric analyses, with implications for conservation". ''

New Zealand Journal of Zoology New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

'' 38(1): 55-81. .

Species

In former classification, two subgenera were recognized: subgenus ''

Basileostylus ''Basileostylus'' is a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Basileostylus F. Haas, 1935. Accessed through: World Registe ...

'' Haas, 1935"Class Gastropoda"
New Zealand Mollusca, accessed 26 December 2010. subgenus '' Maoristylus'' Haas, 1935 Species within this genus include: * † ''

Placostylus abbreviatus ''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placostylus H. Beck, 1837. Accessed through: ...

'' (Gassies, 1871) * ''

Placostylus ambagiosus ''Placostylus ambagiosus'' is a species of flax snail (Māori: pūpū whakarongotaua), a large air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Bothriembryontidae. Description This snail has a large ( long) ...

'' Suter, 1906 * ''

Placostylus bivaricosus The Lord Howe flax snail or the Lord Howe placostylus, scientific name ''Placostylus bivaricosus'', is a species of large air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Bothriembryontidae. MolluscaBase eds. (20 ...

'' (Gaskoin, 1855) * ''

Placostylus bondeensis ''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, Terrestrial animal, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placost ...

'' (Crosse & Souverbie, 1869) * '' Placostylus caledonicus'' (Petit, 1845) * ''

Placostylus eddystonensis ''Placostylus eddystonensis'' is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placostylus eddystonensis (L. Pfeiffer, 1855). Accessed through: World ...

'' Pfeiffer, 1855 * ''

Placostylus fibratus ''Placostylus fibratus'' is a species of large air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Bothriembryontidae. This species is endemic to New Caledonia. ;Subspecies: * ''Placostylus fibratus alexander'' (Crosse, 1855) * ...

'' (Martyn, 1789) - type species

ICZN The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals. It is also informally known as the ICZN Code, for its publisher, the I ...

(1992). "Opinion 1662. ''Limax fibratus'' Martyn, 1784 and ''Nerita hebraea'' Martyn, 1786 (currently ''Placostylus fibratus'' and ''Nerita hebraea''; Mollusca, Gastropoda): specific names conserved; and ''Placostylus'' Beck, 1837; ''L. fibratus'' designated as the type species". '' Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature'' 49: 74-75. * ''

Placostylus hongii ''Placostylus hongii'' is a species of very large, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placostylus hongii (Lesson, 1830). Accessed through: ...

'' (Lesson, 1830) * ''

Placostylus founaki ''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placostylus H. Beck, 1837. Accessed through: ...

'' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1853): synonym of ''

Placocharis founaki ''Placocharis'' are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Placostylinae of the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placocharis Pilsbry, 1900. A ...

'' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1847) * ''

Placostylus fraterculus ''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placostylus H. Beck, 1837. Accessed through: ...

'' Rensch, 1934 * '' Placostylus gracilis'' (Broderip, 1840) * † ''

Placostylus leoni ''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placostylus H. Beck, 1837. Accessed through: ...

'' Haas, 1935 * '' Placostylus porphyrostomus'' Pfeiffer, 1851 * '' Placostylus priscus'' Powell, 1938 * '' Placostylus salomonis'' (Pfeiffer, 1853) * '' Placostylus scarabus'' (Albers, 1854) * † ''

Placostylus senilis ''Placostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Placostylus H. Beck, 1837. Accessed through: ...

'' (Gassies, 1869) ;Synonyms: * ''Placostylus albersi'' Dautzenberg & Bouge in Dautzenberg, 1923: synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus souvillei'' (Morelet, 1857) (nom. nov. pro ''Placostylus eximius'' Albers not Reeve) * ''Placostylus alexander'' (Crosse, 1855): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus alexander'' (Crosse, 1855) * ''Placostylus alienus'' Pilsbry, 1893: synonym of '' Santacharis fuligineus'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1854) (original combination; junior synonym) * ''Placostylus annibal'' (Souverbie, 1869): synonym of '' Placostylus caledonicus'' (Petit, 1845) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus bavayi'' (Crosse & Marie, 1868): synonym of ''Placostylus eddystonensis bavayi'' (Crosse & Marie, 1868) * ''Placostylus bollonsi'' Suter, 1908 - New Zealand flax snail: synonym of ''

Basileostylus bollonsi ''Basileostylus bollonsi'' , common name the New Zealand flax snail or , is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Bothriembryontidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Basileostylus ...

'' (Suter, 1908) * ''Placostylus calus'' E. A. Smith, 1892: synonym of ''

Eumecostylus calus ''Eumecostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Eumecostylus E. von Martens, 1860. Accessed ...

'' (E. A. Smith, 1892) (original combination) * ''Placostylus cleryi'' (Petit de la Saussage, 1850): synonym of ''

Eumecostylus cleryi ''Eumecostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Eumecostylus E. von Martens, 1860. Accessed ...

'' (Petit de la Saussaye, 1850) * ''Placostylus cuniculinsulae'' Cox, 1872: synonym of ''

'' (Gaskoin, 1855) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus dorseyi'' Dall, 1910: synonym of '' Partula grisea'' Lesson, 1831 * ''Placostylus duplex'' (Gassies, 1871): synonym of ''Placostylus porphyrostomus porphyrostomus'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1853) * ''Placostylus dupuyi'' Kobelt, 1890: synonym of ''Placostylus eddystonensis bavayi'' (Crosse & Marie, 1868) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus falcicula'' (Gassies, 1871): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus fibratus'' (Martyn, 1784) * ''Placostylus founaki'' (Rousseau, 1854): synonym of ''

'' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1847) * ''Placostylus francoisi'' Mabille, 1895: synonym of '' Poecilocharis bicolor'' (Hartman, 1889) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus gizoensis'' Clench, 1941: synonym of ''

'' (Gaskoin, 1855) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus goulvainensis'' Kobelt, 1891: synonym of ''Placostylus porphyrostomus smithii'' Kobelt, 1891 (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus guestieri'' (Gassies, 1869): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus guestieri'' (Gassies, 1869) * ''Placostylus guppyi'' E. A. Smith, 1892: synonym of ''

Placocharis guppyi ''Placocharis'' are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Placostylinae of the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placocharis Pilsbry, 1900. A ...

'' (E. A. Smith, 1892) (original combination) * ''Placostylus hienguensis'' Crosse, 1871: synonym of ''

'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1855) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus houailouensis'' Dautzenberg, 1901: synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus alexander'' (Crosse, 1855) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus kanalensis'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1877): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus alexander'' (Crosse, 1855) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus layardi'' Kobelt, 1891: synonym of ''Placostylus bondeensis rossiteri'' (Brazier, 1881) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus leucolenus'' Crosse, 1896: synonym of '' Placostylus fibratus fibratus'' (Martyn, 1784) * ''Placostylus loyaltyensis'' (Souverbie, 1879): synonym of '' Leucocharis loyaltyensis'' (Souverbie, 1879) * ''Placostylus manni'' Clapp, 1923: synonym of ''

Placocharis manni ''Placocharis'' are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Placostylinae of the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placocharis Pilsbry, 1900. A ...

'' (Clapp, 1923) (basionym) * ''Placostylus mariei'' (Crosse & P. Fischer, 1867): synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus mariei (Crosse & P. Fischer, 1867) * ''Placostylus miltocheilus'' Reeve, 1848: synonym of '' Aspastus miltocheilus'' (Reeve, 1848) * ''Placostylus ouveanus'' (Mousson, 1869): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus ouveanus'' (Mousson, 1869) * ''Placostylus palmarum'' (Mousson, 1869): synonym of ''

Placocharis palmarum ''Placocharis'' are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Placostylinae of the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placocharis Pilsbry, 1900. A ...

'' (Mousson, 1869) * ''Placostylus paravicinianus'' B. Rensch, 1934: synonym of ''

Placocharis paravicinianus ''Placocharis'' are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Placostylinae of the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Placocharis Pilsbry, 1900. A ...

'' (B. Rensch, 1934) (original combination) * ''Placostylus pseudocaledonicus'' (Montrouzier in Crosse, 1859): synonym of '' Placostylus scarabus'' (Albers, 1854) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus pyrostomus'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1860): synonym of '' Santacharis salomonis'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1852) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus remotus'' Hedley, 1898: synonym of '' Partula remota'' (Hedley, 1898) (original combination) * ''Placostylus sanchristovalensis'' (Cox, 1870): synonym of ''

Eumecostylus sanchristovalensis ''Eumecostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Eumecostylus E. von Martens, 1860. Accessed ...

'' (Cox, 1870) * ''Placostylus savesi'' Crosse, 1886: synonym of ''Placostylus eddystonensis savesi'' Crosse, 1886 * ''Placostylus saxtoni'' Kobelt, 1891: synonym of '' Placostylus caledonicus'' (Petit, 1845) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus scottii'' (Cox, 1873): synonym of ''

Eumecostylus scottii ''Eumecostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Eumecostylus E. von Martens, 1860. Accessed ...

'' (Cox, 1873) * ''Placostylus seemanni'' (Dohrn, 1861): synonym of '' Euplacostylus seemanni'' (Dohrn, 1861) * ''Placostylus singularis'' (Morelet, 1857): synonym of ''Placostylus porphyrostomus porphyrostomus'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1853) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus sinistrorsa'' (Crosse, 1884): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus ouveanus'' (Mousson, 1869) (based on unavailable original name) * ''Placostylus smithii'' Kobelt, 1891: synonym of ''Placostylus porphyrostomus smithii'' Kobelt, 1891 (basionym) * ''Placostylus souvillei'' (Morelet, 1857): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus souvillei'' (Morelet, 1857) * ''Placostylus stutchburyi'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1860): synonym of ''

Placocharis stutchburyi ''Placocharis'' are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Placostylinae of the family Bothriembryontidae Bothriembryontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, ter ...

'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1860) * ''Placostylus superfasciatus'' (Gassies, 1871): synonym of ''Placostylus fibratus fibratus'' (Martyn, 1784) (junior synonym) * ''Placostylus unicus'' B. Rensch, 1934: synonym of ''

Eumecostylus unicus ''Eumecostylus'', or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Eumecostylus E. von Martens, 1860. Accessed ...

'' (B. Rensch, 1934) (original combination)

References

External links

Fabrice M. Brescia, Christine M. Pöllabauer, Murray A. Potter & Alastair W. Robertson, A review of the ecology and conservation of Placostylus (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Bulimulidae) in New Caledonia; Molluscan Research 28(2): 111–122; ISSN 1323-5818
* Powell A. W. B., ''New Zealand Mollusca'', William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
Flax snail
on

Department of Conservation (New Zealand) The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage. An advisory body, the New Zealand Conservation Au ...

website {{Taxonbar, from=Q7200423 Gastropod genera