Pachychilidae


Pachychilidae, common name pachychilids, is a taxonomic family of freshwater snails, gastropod molluscs in the clade Sorbeoconcha.

Distribution

Pachychilids are freshwater snails with a worldwide distribution in the tropics. Representatives are found in South and Central America, Africa, Madagascar, South and South-east Asia and tropical Australia.

Description

Pachychilids have an operculum, which is concentric and multispiral.

Ecology

All species in the family inhabit freshwater except Faunus ater, which is a brackish water snail found in estuaries and other coastal habitats. Pachychilids are either oviparous, ovoviviparous or viviparous.

Genera

Genera within the family Pachychilidae include:
  • Bellatara Strand, 1928 - with only one species Bellatara janus
  • Brotia H. Adams, 1866
  • Doryssa Swainson, 1840
  • Eginea Pacaud & Harzhauser, 2012
  • Faunus de Montfort, 1810 with the only species Faunus ater
  • Jagora Köhler & Glaubrecht, 2003
  • Jponsia Pacaud & Harzhauser, 2012
  • Madagasikara Köhler & Glaubrecht, 2010 - synonym: Melanatria Bowdich, 1822 auctt.
  • Nodifaunus Olsson, 1944
  • Pachychilus I. Lea & H. C. Lea, 1851 - type genus of the family Pachychilidae
  • Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900
  • Potadoma Swainson, 1840
  • Pseudobellardia Cox, 1931
  • Pseudopotamis Martens, 1894
  • Sulcospira Troschel, 1858 - synonym: Adamietta Brandt, 1974
  • Tinnyea Hantken, 1887
  • Tylomelania Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897
  • Wingeastonia K. Martin, 1906
;Genera brought into synonymy:
  • Acrostoma Brot, 1871: synonym of Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900
  • Antimelania P. Fischer & Crosse, 1892: synonym of Brotia H. Adams, 1866
  • Brotella Rovereto, 1899: synonym of Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900
  • Fauninae Cossmann, 1909 : synonym of Pachychilidae P. Fischer & Crosse, 1892
  • Melanatria Bowdich, 1822: synonym of Faunus Montfort, 1810
  • Oxymelania Crosse & P. Fischer, 1892: synonym of Pachychilus I. Lea & H. C. Lea, 1851
  • Pirena Lamarck, 1822: synonym of Faunus Montfort, 1810
  • Sphaeromelania Rovereto, 1899: synonym of Pachychilus I. Lea & H. C. Lea, 1851
  • Wanga Chen, 1943: synonym of Brotia H. Adams, 1866

    Cladogram

A cladogram based on sequences of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA sequences showing phylogenic relations of Pachychilidae: