A review of the land snail genus Alycaeus (Gastropoda, Alycaeidae) in Peninsular Malaysia
Author
Foon, Junn Kitt
Author
Liew, Thor-Seng
text
ZooKeys
2017
692
1
81
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.692.14706
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.692.14706
1313-2970-692-1
1B7C3F517CF543338EAB1CB1BD9D8A07
1B7C3F517CF543338EAB1CB1BD9D8A07
Alycaeus alticola
sp. n.
Figures 7J, 8, 31G
Type locality.
PHG 77 Bukit Mengapur, Pahang (
3°44'42"N
,
102°50'16"E
).
Type material.
Holotype. PHG 77 Bukit Mengapur, Pahang: BOR/MOL 12977. Paratypes. PHG 77 Bukit Mengapur, Pahang: BOR/MOL 6888/1, BOR/MOL 8398/26.
Other examined materials.
PHG 77 Bukit Mengapur, Pahang: BOR/MOL 8397(11).
Etymology.
Latin for "dweller at heights". Named after the
species'
apparent ecological preference for habitats at higher and drier parts of limestone hills.
Description.
Protoconch. Smooth.
Shell shape. Conical. Shell height: 5.08-6.04 mm. Shell width: 5.04-5.87 mm.
Spire. Spire height: 1.64-2.23 mm. Spire width: 2.32-2.71 mm. Number of whorls: up to 5. Spire shape: oblong conical. Whorl periphery rounded. Umbilicus open.
Whorl constriction. At about 4
3/4
whorls posterior of protoconch.
Breathing
tube. Length: 0.42-0.58 mm.
Aperture and peristome. Aperture circular, moderately expanded. Aperture height: 2.40-2.70 mm. Aperture width: 2.32-2.72 mm. Peristome double, not thickened, slightly notched at suture. Peristome orientation 35-38° oblique with respect to the coiling axis.
Spiral lines. Indistinct, regularly spaced. Approximately 22-44 lines per 1 mm.
Radial ribs running anterior of breathing tube. Radial ribs pronounced, evenly spaced. Approximately 10-14 ribs per 1 mm.
Radial ribs running perpendicular to breathing tube. Radial ribs pronounced, white and thicker than those anterior of breathing tube, evenly spaced. Approximately 9-15 ribs per 1 mm.
Radial ribs running posterior of breathing tube. Radial ribs absent immediately posterior of constriction, becoming pronounced and regularly spaced at the middle until prior to aperture. Approximately 7-15 ribs per 1 mm.
Operculum. Concave, rounded. Exterior covered with very thin calcareous layer, with indistinct appressed multilamellae. Interior covered with proteinaceous coating, smooth, with indistinct appressed multilamellae and indistinct mamilla.
Shell colour. Whorls yellow, fading to white posterior of constriction. Peristome white.
Living animal. Body cream-white with fine brown blotches. Head brown. Tentacles brown.
Habitat and ecology.
Lives on rock surfaces covered with powdery lichen at higher and drier areas of the limestone hills, often at open places exposed to ambient sunlight. They never appear on wet and mossy sections of limestone rocks and are rarely seen in lower parts of limestone hills that are shaded by forest cover.
Distribution range.
Restricted to Bukit Mengapur, Pahang.
Differential diagnosis.
Alycaeus alticola
sp. n. varies in the degree of ultimate whorl expansion within population but has a consistently more expanded and globose whorl compared to
A. costacrassa
sp. n.,
A. selangoriensis
sp. n. and
A. kapayanensis
.
Alycaeus alticola
sp. n. shares similar shell shape with
Alycaeus charasensis
sp. n. but differs in the presence of pronounced radial ribs and spiral lines, as well as less expanded ultimate whorl.
Discussion.
A. alticola
sp. n. is among the larger yellow, conical shelled
Alycaeus
in Peninsular Malaysia.
Figure 7. Photographs of 18 living
Alycaeus
species.
A-B
Alycaeus balingensis
Tomlin, 1948, BOR/MOL 8356 C
Alycaeus liratulus
(Preston, 1907), BOR/MOL 8334 D
Alycaeus thieroti
Morgan, 1885b, BOR/MOL 6835 E
Alycaeus conformis
Fulton, 1902, BOR/MOL 6809 F
Alycaeus gibbosulus
Stoliczka, 1872, BOR/MOL 6850 G
Alycaeus gibbosulus
Stoliczka, 1872, BOR/MOL 8526 H
Alycaeus jousseaumei
Morgan, 1885a, BOR/MOL 8341 I
Alycaeus jousseaumei
Morgan, 1885a, BOR/MOL 8336 J
Alycaeus alticola
sp. n., BOR/MOL 8398 K
Alycaeus charasensis
sp. n., BOR/MOL 8399 L
Alycaeus clementsi
sp. n., BOR/MOL 8364 M
Alycaeus costacrassa
sp. n., BOR/MOL 6811 N
Alycaeus expansus
sp. n., BOR/MOL 6367 O
Alycaeus kapayanensis
Morgan, 1885b, BOR/MOL 13005 P
Alycaeus kelantanensis
Sykes, 1902, BOR/MOL 8325 Q
Alycaeus kelantanensis
Sykes, 1902, BOR/MOL 6200 R
Alycaeus kurauensis
sp. n., BOR/MOL 6851 S
Alycaeus perakensis
Crosse, 1879a, BOR/MOL 6852 T
Alycaeus regalis
sp. n., BOR/MOL 6881 U
Alycaeus selangoriensis
sp. n., BOR/MOL 6371
V-W
Alycaeus senyumensis
sp. n., BOR/MOL 6249. All photographs by Junn Kitt Foon.
Figure 8.
Alycaeus alticola
sp. n.
A-E
Shell of holotype, BOR/MOL 8398
F-H
Close up of shell of holotype, BOR/MOL 8398
I-L
Operculum of paratype, BOR/MOL 8398
M-Q
Shell of paratype, BOR/MOL 8398. Scale bars:
A-G
,
I-Q
1 mm; H 0.5 mm. All photographs by Junn Kitt Foon.