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
Alycaeus
gibbosulus Stoliczka, 1872
Figures 7
F-G
, 17, 31E
Alycaeus
gibbosulus
Stoliczka, 1872: 268-269, plate 10, figure 14;
Pfeiffer 1876
: 58;
Nevill 1878
: 295;
Crosse 1879b
: 339;
Morgan 1885b
: 402;
Moellendorff
1886
: 310;
Tenison-Woods 1888
: 1068;
Kobelt 1902
: 344;
Sykes 1902
: 62;
Benthem Jutting 1960a
: 13, 19;
Davison 1995
: 236;
Maassen 2001
: 21;
Clements et al. 2008
: 2760;
Tarruella and
Domenech
2011
: 72, figure 1F;
Foon et al. 2017
: 12, figure 4C.
Alycaeus chaperi
Morgan, 1885a: 70.
Alycaeus (Orthalycaeus) gibbosulus
:
Moellendorff
1891
: 342; Kobelt and
Moellendorff
1897
: 150;
Moellendorff
1902
: 144.
Alycaeus gibbosulos
[sic]:
Berry 1963
: plate 4.
Dioryx pyramidalis
:
Habe 1965
: 111-112, plate 2, figures 3-4;
Maassen 2001
: 21. [not
Alycaeus pyramidalis
Benson, 1856]
Alycaeus (Alycaeus) gibbosulus
:
Laidlaw 1928
: 34;
Chan 1998b
: 1.
Type locality.
Penang Island.
Type material.
Syntypes. Penang Island: 12 shells deposited at the Indian Museum, Kolkata (
Nevill 1878
) (Not seen).
Other examined materials.
Botanic Garden, Penang Island: BOR/MOL 8525/1, BOR/MOL 8526/12. KDH 01 Bukit Baling, Kedah: BOR/MOL 6855/1, BOR/MOL 8358/1, BOR/MOL 8359/23, BOR/MOL 12996/1, ZRC 1975.2.21.182-207/25, ZRC 1975.2.21.144-150/6, ZRC 1997.17/4, ANSP 423057/2. KDH 02 Gunung Pulai, Kedah: BOR/MOL 6857/1, BOR/MOL 8362/16. KDH 10 Bukit Keplu, Kedah: BOR/MOL 6871/1, BOR/MOL 8375/51, BOR/MOL 8376/1, BOR/MOL 6190/1. PRK 62 Gua Dayak, Perak: BOR/MOL 279/1. Mykarst-171 Tasik Temenggor Hill S2, Perak: BOR/MOL 6244/1. PRK 55 Gunung Pondok, Perak: BOR/MOL 6850/1, BOR/MOL 8351/3, BOR/MOL 8352/7, BOR/MOL 11523/1, BOR/MOL 11538/2, ZRC 1972.2.21.140-142/3. Limestone outcrop 50m from roadside, Kampung Pahit, Klian Intan, Perak: BOR/MOL 6875/1, BOR/MOL 8381/3, BOR/MOL 8382/1. Mykarst-027 Gunung Kanthan North, Perak: BOR/MOL 9106/2. Mykarst-025, Perak: BOR/MOL 9382/10, BOR/MOL 9416/2, BOR/MOL 9436/17, BOR/MOL 9500/11. PRK 23 Gunung Rapat, Perak: BOR/MOL 10286/1. PRK 59 Bukit Batu Kurau, Perak: ZRC 1975.2.21.180-181/4. Sungai Siput, Perak: ZRC 1975.2.21.143/1. Capis, upper Perak: ZRC 1975.2.21.1020-1022/3. Gua Kelam, PRS 64 Wang Ulu, Perlis: BOR/MOL 278/1, BOR/MOL 6866/1, BOR/MOL 6868/1, BOR/MOL 8372/4, ZRC 1975.2.21.152-179/27. PRS 19 Bukit Chuping, Perlis: BOR/MOL 6860/3, ZRC 1975.2.21.151/1. Bukit Ayer, PRS 64 Wang Ulu, Perlis: BOR/MOL 6862/1, BOR/MOL 8366/5, BOR/MOL 8367/3, BOR/MOL 12960/1. PRS 17 Gunung Chabang, Perlis: BOR/MOL 6870/1. PRS 40 Bukit Merbok, Perlis: BOR/MOL 8139/1. TRG 01 Bukit Bewah, Terengganu: BOR/MOL 6662/10, BOR/MOL 13002/1. Malakka (= Peninsular Malaysia): RMNH 153521/2.
Description
.
Protoconch. Smooth at first whorl, becomes grooved in the second whorl. Grooves arranged parallel to each other and tilted anteriorly at 45° to the coiling axis.
Shell shape. Conical. Shell height: 9.20-10.15 mm. Shell width: 8.46-9.75 mm.
Spire. Spire height: 2.32-3.07 mm. Spire width: 3.32-3.67 mm. Number of whorls: up to 4 ⅛. Spire shape: oblong conical. Whorl periphery rounded. Umbilicus open.
Whorl constriction. At about 4 whorls posterior of protoconch.
Breathing tube. Length: 5.28-6.52 mm.
Aperture and peristome. Aperture circular, moderately expanded. Aperture height: 4.11-5.14 mm. Aperture width: 4.27-4.93 mm. Peristome double, thickened, slightly notched at suture. Interspace narrow to wide. Peristome orientation 18-24° oblique with respect to the coiling axis.
Spiral lines. Indistinct, regularly spaced. Approximately 20-44 lines per 1 mm.
Radial ribs running anterior of breathing tube. Radial ribs pronounced, evenly spaced. Approximately 14-21 ribs per 1 mm.
Radial ribs running perpendicular to breathing tube. Radial ribs more pronounced and thicker than those anterior of breathing tube, evenly spaced. Approximately 8-14 ribs per 1 mm.
Radial ribs running posterior of breathing tube. Ribs absent. Only radial growth lines.
Operculum. Concave, conical. Exterior covered by thick calcareous layer. Exterior has scaffold-like calcareous deposits overlaid on radially spiral lamellae. Interior covered by proteinaceous layer, mamillated.
Shell colour. First 3 whorls usually red, purple or pink. All colours fade to white towards ultimate whorl.
Living animal. Body brown. Head brown. Tentacles light to dark grey.
Habitat and ecology.
Lives under large rotten logs or on leaf litter. In wet, shady forests in both limestone and non-limestone areas.
Distribution.
Widespread from Perlis to Perak on the west coast and in parts of Kelantan and Terengganu on the east coast but not found in Selangor, Pahang and the southern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Elsewhere, in Trang, southern Thailand (as
Dioryx pyramidalis
(Benson, 1856), in
Habe (1965)
).
Differential diagnosis.
Alycaeus gibbosulus
is most similar to
A. conformis
in shell shape but differs in having a more expanded penultimate whorl, coarser sculpture, more oblique peristome, longer constriction whorl, longer breathing tube (longer by 0.66 mm), ultimate whorl that is very obtused prior to constriction and scaffold-like calcareous deposits at the operculum exterior. The animal body is brown in
A. gibbosulus
compared to grey in
A. conformis
.
Discussion.
The syntypes of
A. gibbosulus
is housed in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, India (
Nevill 1878
) but was not examined in this study. Nevertheless, topotypic specimens from Penang Island (BOR/MOL 8525, BOR/MOL 8526) match the illustration of the type by
Stoliczka (1872)
. This is considered to be sufficient for positive species identification.
This
species is closely related to
A. conformis
and has historically been confused with it. Studies that reported
A. gibbosulus
in various localities are as follows: Penang (
Stoliczka 1872
,
Crosse 1879b
,
Tenison-Woods 1888
,
Kobelt 1902
,
Laidlaw 1928
,
Moellendorff
1891
), Perlis (
Benthem Jutting 1960a
), Perak (
Crosse 1879b
,
Moellendorff
1886
,
Moellendorff
1891
,
Davison 1995
,
Chan 1998b
) and Kelantan (
Sykes 1902
,
Moellendorff
1902
).
Moellendorff
(1886)
reported that Perak shells differ from Penang shells in being paler as well as possessing a wider ultimate whorl. These shell forms are well within the morphological variation of
A. gibbosulus
. An erroneous record of
Dioryx pyramidalis
Benson, 1856 in Peninsular Malaysia has been traced back to a mistake by
Habe (1965)
in which specimens of
A. gibbosulus
from northern Malay Peninsula were misidentified as
Alycaeus pyramidalis
Benson, 1856. The species
Alycaeus chaperi
Morgan, 1885b, is also a synonym of
Alycaeus gibbosulus
(
Moellendorff
1886
,
Moellendorff
1891
).
Alycaeus gibbosulus
has been reported to exist sympatrically with
A. conformis
in Gunung Rapat, Perak (
Foon et al. 2017
). Elsewhere range overlaps between
A. gibbosulus
and
A. conformis
remain unresolved. In Kelantan,
Sykes (1902)
mentioned a collection of shells with typical
A. gibbosulus
characters and some which were "much less gibbous". These less gibbous shells are likely
A. conformis
, which is common in Kelantan. Hence, it is possible that both
A. gibbosulus
and
A. conformis
exist sympatrically in Kelantan. In Pahang where only
A. conformis
records are confirmed, an aberrant record of
A. gibbosulus
from Kuala Tahan (
Benthem Jutting 1960a
) warrants investigation. The shells of
A. gibbosulus
are sometimes coated in a layer of organic matter when alive (Figure 7F).
Figure 17.
Alycaeus gibbosulus
Stoliczka, 1872.
A-E
Shell of BOR/MOL 8525
F-H
Close up of shell of BOR/MOL 8525
I-L
Operculum of BOR/MOL 8525
M-Q
Shell of BOR/MOL 12960. Scale bars:
A-Q
1 mm. All photographs by Junn Kitt Foon.