Geomalacus anguiformis

Geomalacus anguiformis is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Arionidae, the round back slugs.

Geomalacus anguiformis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Superorder: Eupulmonata
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Arionidae
Genus: Geomalacus
Subgenus: Arrudia
Species:
G. anguiformis
Binomial name
Geomalacus anguiformis
(Morelet, 1845)[1]
Synonyms

Distribution

This species occurs in south Portugal (Serra de Monchique) and central Spain.[2]

Description

The slug is dark grey with brown hue.[2] It has lighter sides and two light colour bands with dark lower margins running along both sides of the mantle.[2] Mantle is elliptical, extending to tentacles in anterior part.[2] Tentacles are nearly black, thick and not very long.[2] When crawling, the slug has not always a regularly cylindrical shape, there are depressions and dilatations.[2] Sole is light creamy with darker medial zone, with yellowish or greenish hue.[2] Mucus is yellow.[2] Geomalacus anguiformis is 60 mm long (preserved 30 mm).[2]

Shell is elliptical, solid, upper side convex and lower side flat.[2]

The reproductive system is diagnostic feature: Geomalacus anguiformis has atrial diverticulum shorter than spermatheca duct[3] while Kerry slug Geomalacus maculosus has atrial diverticulum longer than spermatheca duct.[3] Geomalacus anguiformis has penis long, vas deferens very thin, spermatheca oval with long duct.[2] Geomalacus anguiformis differs from Geomalacus oliveirae in its atriopenis inserting at the prolongation of the atrial long axis (not laterally).[2]

Ecology

Geomalacus anguiformis was found in olive plantations, under bark.[2]

References

This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[2]

  1. Morelet A. (1845). Description des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles de Portugal. pp. [1-3], I-VII [= 1-7], 1-116, Pl. I-XIV [= 1-14]. Paris. (Bailliere).
  2. "Species summary for Geomalacus anguiformis". AnimalBase, last modified 3 December 2009, accessed 9 December 2010.
  3. Platts, E. A.; Speight, M. C. D. (1988). "The taxonomy and distribution of the Kerry slug Geomalacus maculosus Allman, 1843 (Mollusca: Arionidae) with a discussion of its status as a threatened species". Irish Naturalists' Journal. 22 (10): 417–430.

Further reading
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