Aegista diversifamilia

Aegista diversifamilia is a species of air-breathing land snails, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk from Taiwan.[1]

Aegista diversifamilia
Live individual from Xiulin, Hualien
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Superorder: Eupulmonata
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Camaenidae
Genus: Aegista
Species:
A. diversifamilia
Binomial name
Aegista diversifamilia
Huang, Lee, Lin & Wu, 2014[1]

Discovery and naming

A. diversifamilia was previously identified as being part of the species A. subchinensis, which was known to occur throughout most of Taiwan. In 2003, a paper was published remarking on the morphological and genetic difference between the eastern and western populations of the species. Eventually it was established that the eastern population was a separate species, divided from A. subchinensis by the Lanyang River.[1]

The new species' name is derived from Latin diversus and familia. The name was chosen in recognition of the same-sex marriage movement in Taiwan and worldwide.[1][2][3][4] Dr. Yen-Chang Lee, co-author of the ZooKeys paper describing the species,[2] said: "When we were preparing the manuscript, it was a period when Taiwan and many other countries and states were struggling for the recognition of same-sex marriage rights. It reminded us that Pulmonata land snails are hermaphrodite animals, which means they have both male and female reproductive organs in single individual. They represent the diversity of sex orientation in the animal kingdom. We decided that maybe this is a good occasion to name the snail to remember the struggle for the recognition of same-sex marriage rights."[5] A. diversifamilia was selected as one of the top 10 new species in 2014.[6][7]

Description

The shell is depressed and spherical, between 1.98 centimetres (0.78 in) and 3.24 centimetres (1.28 in) wide and 0.97 centimetres (0.38 in) to 1.68 centimetres (0.66 in) high. The shell is thin but strong, with a depressed conic spire. The aperture is ovate, 0.78 centimetres (0.31 in) to 1.32 centimetres (0.52 in) wide by 0.48 centimetres (0.19 in) to 1.05 centimetres (0.41 in) tall.[1]

The shell is a glossy chestnut- or yellow-brown, with a thin light brown stripe running along the periphery. The peristome is white.[1]

Apical view.
Apertural view.
Umbilical view.

Reproductive system
Reproductive system of Aegista diversifamilia.

A. diversifamilia is hermaphroditic. The penis is long and thin, but shorter than the epiphallus. The dart sac is positioned in the vagina, which is equal in length to the penis. The spermoviduct is approximately four times as long as the penis and oviduct, and two times as long as the hermaphroditic duct. Individuals lay 20-30 white, 3 mm diameter round eggs per spawning.[1]

Distribution and habitat

A. diversifamilia is endemic to eastern Taiwan, bounded on the north by the Lanyang River. It is found in the Yilan and Hualien Counties, but not on Guishan Island.[1]

The species is usually found in lowland hardwood forests, living in or under moist leaf litter.[1]

References
  1. Huang, Chih-Wei; Lee, Yen-Chen; Lin, Si-Min; Wu, Wen-Lung (13 October 2014). "Taxonomic revision of Aegista subchinensis (Möllendorff, 1884) (Stylommatophora, Bradybaenidae) and a description of a new species of Aegista from eastern Taiwan based on multilocus phylogeny and comparative morphology". ZooKeys. Pensoft (445): 31–55. doi:10.3897/zookeys.445.7778. PMC 4205739. PMID 25349506. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  2. Ghorayshi, Azeen (13 October 2014). "New species of snail named in celebration of same-sex marriage". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  3. Feltman, Rachel (13 October 2014). "New species of hermaphrodite snail named in support of same-sex marriage". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  4. "Hermaphrodite snail named after marriage equality". BBC News. BBC. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  5. Huang, Chih-Wei (13 October 2014). "A new land snail species named for equal marriage rights". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  6. Kluger, Jeffrey (2 December 2014). "Top 10 New Species". Time. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  7. Winter, Lisa (1 January 2015). "Top 10 New Species of 2014". IFLScience. Retrieved 14 January 2015.

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