Pommerhelix monacha

Species of gastropod

Pommerhelix monacha

An acid-eroded shell of Pommerhelix monacha in the Mount Wilson rainforest, Blue Mountains National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  |

Animalia

Phylum:  |

Mollusca

Class:  |

Gastropoda

(unranked):  |

clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra

Superfamily:  |

Helicoidea

Family:  |

Camaenidae

Genus:  |

Pommerhelix

Species:  |

P. monacha

Binomial name
Pommerhelix monacha

(Pfeiffer, 1859)[1]

Synonyms[4]

* Badistes bowdenae
* Galaxias monacha
* Hadra monacha
* Helix monacha Pfeiffer, 1859
* Helix cailleti Crosse, 1864
* Helix cailleti pallidior Crosse, 1864
* Helix (Pomatia) monacha
* Helix (Dorcasia) cailleti[2]
* Helix (Badistes) monacha[3]
* Helix (Badistes) cailleti
* Meridolum bowdenae McLauchlan, 1951 (nomen nudum)
* Sauroconcha bowdenae (McLauchlan, 1954)
* Thersites cailleti

Pommerhelix monacha is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Camaenidae. [5]

This species is found in eastern Australia.

## Distribution[edit]

This snail is found in high altitude rainforests in Blue Mountains,[4] central eastern New South Wales, Australia.

The type locality is "Australia", which can be specified to Sassafras Gully, Springwood, New South Wales, Australia.[4]

Apertural view of a shell of Pommerhelix monacha

## Description[edit]

The shell of Pommerhelix monacha is subglobose (almost round).[4] The shell has 5.6–6.0 whorls. The color of the shell is dark brown to black,[4] but it can also be dark red or purple in colour.[6] The shell sculpture consists of zigzag ridges combined with small ridges on the periostracum.[4] The umbilicus is closed.[4] The aperture is roundly ovate in shape.[4]

The width of the shell is 26.2-30.3 mm.[4] The height of the shell is 18.1-23.2 mm.[4]

The visible soft parts are a yellowish grey in colour:[6] the body is grey to dark grey[4] and the mantle is dark yellow or orange.[4]

An apertural view of a shell of Pommerhelix monacha

An umbilical view of a shell of Pommerhelix monacha

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## References[edit]

1. ^ Pfeiffer L. K. G. (1859). P. Z. S. page 25. plate 43, figure 7.
2. ^ Tryon G. W. (1887). Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. Second series: Pulmonata. Volume 3. Helicidae - Volume I., page 216, plate 50, figs. 27-28.
3. ^ Pilsbry H. A. (1890). Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. Second series: Pulmonata. Volume 6. Helicidae - Volume IV. page 133, plate 43, fig. 39.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. abstract.
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b Michael Shea, Australian Museum, personal communication.

* 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[edit]

* 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

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q7227346
* AFD: Pommerhelix_monacha
* CoL: 4LR3Q
* GBIF: 9761965
* iNaturalist: 790114
* WoRMS: 1149995

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