Achatina

Achatina
	Achatina achatina, Kakum National Park, Ghana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Heterobranchia
Order:	Stylommatophora
Suborder:	Achatinina
Superfamily:	Achatinoidea
Family:	Achatinidae
Subfamily:	Achatininae
Genus:	Achatina; Lamarck, 1799
Type species
	Bulla achatina Linnaeus, 1758;
Synonyms
	Achatina (Achatina) Lamarck, 1799 · alternate representation; Achatina (Pintoa) Bourguignat, 1890 · alternate representation; Achatina (Tripachatina) Bourguignat, 1890 · alternate representation; Achatinus Montfort, 1810; Achatium Link, 1807; Agathina J. Férussac, 1807; Agatina auct. (incorrect subsequent spelling); Bulimus (Achatina) Lamarck, 1799 ·; Euachatina Shuttleworth, 1856; Geodes Gistel, 1848; Glandina (Achatina) Lamarck, 1799 (considered a separate genus); Oncaea Gistel, 1848; Parachatina Bourguignat, 1889; Serpaea Bourguignat, 1889; Tripachatina Bourguignat, 1890 ·; Urceus Mörch, 1857;

Achatina is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.^[2]

Distribution[edit]

There are some 200 species of Achatinidae in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some species are kept as terrarium animals due to their size of three inches, and colourful shells.

Shell description[edit]

Snails in this genus have medium to large shells which are ovate in shape and often colourfully streaked.

Species[edit]

Species within the genus Achatina include:

Achatina achatina Linnaeus, 1758 or giant African snail, Agate Snail or Ghana Tiger Snail, from Western Africa (Liberia through Nigeria) grows to be the largest land snail on Earth.
Achatina ampullacea Böttger, 1910
Achatina balteata Reeve, 1849 - Cameroon to Central Angola.
Achatina bandeirana Morelet, 1866
Achatina bayaona Morelet, 1866
Achatina bayoli Morelet, 1888
Achatina bisculpta E. A. Smith, 1878
Achatina connollyi Preston, 1912
Achatina coroca Bruggen, 1978
Achatina craveni E. A. Smith, 1881 - Congo, Tanzania.
Achatina dammarensis L. Pfeiffer, 1870 - Botswana
Achatina dohrniana L. Pfeiffer, 1870
Achatina greyi Da Costa, 1907
Achatina hortensiae Morelet, 1866
Achatina inaequalis L. Pfeiffer, 1855
Achatina iostoma L. Pfeiffer, 1854 - Cameroon
Achatina morrelli Preston, 1905
Achatina obscura Da Costa, 1907
Achatina osborni Pilsbry, 1919
Achatina passargei von Martens, 1900
Achatina perfecta Morelet, 1867
Achatina pfeifferi Dunker, 1845
Achatina polychroa Morelet, 1866

Achatina randabeli Bourguignat, 1889
Achatina rugosa Putzeys, 1898
Achatina schinziana Mousson, 1888 - Botswana
Achatina schweinfurthi von Martens, 1873 - East Africa.
Achatina semisculpta Dunker, 1845 - East Africa
Achatina smithii Craven, 1881
Achatina spekei Dohrn, 1864
Achatina stuhlmanni von Martens, 1892 - Uganda.
Achatina tavaresiana Morelet, 1866 - Angola
Achatina tincta Reeve, 1842 - Congo, Angola
Achatina tracheia Connolly, 1929 - Southeast Africa
Achatina transparens Da Costa, 1907
Achatina virgulata Da Costa, 1907
Achatina welwitschi Morelet, 1866
Achatina weynsi Dautzenberg, 1891 - Congo

incertae sedis:

Achatina vassei Germain, 1918 - The internal anatomy of this species is not known, and therefore the generic classification of ‘Achatina’ vassei cannot be made.^[3]

Species brought into synonymy[edit]

Achatina albopicta E. A. Smith, 1878 - along the coast of Kenya and Tanzania: synonym of Lissachatina albopicta (E. A. Smith, 1878)
Achatina allisa Reeve, 1849: synonym of Lissachatina allisa (L. Reeve, 1849)
Achatina antourtourensis Crosse, 1879 : synonym of Achatina immaculata Lamarck, 1822: synonym of Lissachatina immaculata (Lamarck, 1822) (junior synonym)
Achatina arctespirata Bourguignat, 1890: synonym of Achatina randabeli Bourguignat, 1890
Achatina barbigera Morelet, 1866: synonym of Petriola marmorea (Reeve, 1850)
Achatina bloyeti Bourguignat, 1890: synonym of Lissachatina bloyeti (Bourguignat, 1890)
Achatina capelloi Furtado, 1886: synonym of Lissachatina capelloi (Furtado, 1886)
Achatina fulgurata Pfeiffer, 1853 - Senegal: synonym of Achatina eleanorae Mead, 1995
Achatina drakensbergensis Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897 : synonym of Cochlitoma drakensbergensis (Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897)
Achatina eleanorae Mead, 1995: synonym of Lissachatina eleanorae (Mead, 1995)
Achatina ellioti E. A. Smith, 1895: synonym of Oreohomorus ellioti (E. A. Smith, 1895)
Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822 or giant East African snail from Eastern Africa is a serious pest in the many tropical countries where it has been introduced, and is listed as an invasive species by some governments: synonym of Lissachatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822)
Achatina glaucina E. A. Smith, 1899: synonym of Lissachatina glaucina (E. A. Smith, 1899)
Achatina glutinosa Pfeiffer, 1854 - Mozambique: synonym of Lissachatina glutinosa (L. Pfeiffer, 1854)
Achatina gruveli Dautzenberg, 1921: synonym of Achatina iostoma L. Pfeiffer, 1854
Achatina gundlachi L. Pfeiffer, 1850: synonym of Geostilbia gundlachi (L. Pfeiffer, 1850)
Achatina hamillei Petit de la Saussaye, 1859: synonym of Lissachatina fulica hamillei (Petit de la Saussaye, 1859)
Achatina immaculata Lamarck, 1822 - Southeastern Africa: synonym of Lissachatina immaculata (Lamarck, 1822)
Achatina iredalei Preston, 1910: synonym of Lissachatina allisa (Reeve, 1849)
Achatina ivensi Furtado, 1886: synonym of Achatina pfeifferi Dunker, 1845
Achatina johnstoni E. A. Smith, 1899: synonym of Lissachatina johnstoni (E. A. Smith, 1899)
Achatina kilimae Dautzenberg, 1908: synonym of Lissachatina kilimae (Dautzenberg, 1908)
Achatina lowei Paiva, 1866: synonym of Amphorella oryza (R. T. Lowe, 1852)
Achatina lechaptoisi Ancey, 1894: synonym of Lissachatina immaculata (Lamarck, 1822)
Achatina letourneuxi Bourguignat, 1879: synonym of Lissachatina fulica hamillei (Petit de la Saussaye, 1859)
Achatina lhotellerii Bourguignat, 1879: synonym of Lissachatina zanzibarica (Bourguignat, 1879)
Achatina marginata Swainson, 1821:^[4] synonym of Archachatina marginata (Swainson, 1821)
Achatina milneedwardsiana Revoil, 1885: synonym of Lissachatina fulica hamillei (Petit de la Saussaye, 1859)
Achatina minima Siemaschko, 1847: synonym of Cochlicopa lubricella (Porro, 1838)
Achatina monochromatica Pilsbry (Deprecated. Old historical synonym of Achatina achatina var. monochromatic)
Achatina moreletiana Deshayes, 1851: taxon inquirendum
Achatina mulanjensis Crowley & Pain - Malawi: synonym of Achatina immaculata Lamarck, 1822 (junior synonym)
Achatina nigella Morelet, 1867: synonym of Homorus nigellus (Morelet, 1867)
Achatina nyikaensis Pilsbry, 1909 - Malawi: synonym of Bequaertina pintoi (Bourguignat, 1889) (junior synonym)
Achatina panthera Férussac, 1832 - Zimbabwe, Mauritius: synonym of Achatina immaculata Lamarck, 1822
Achatina pellucida L. Pfeiffer, 1840: synonym of Blauneria heteroclita (Montagu, 1808)
Achatina purpurea (Gmelin, 1790): synonym of Archachatina purpurea (Gmelin, 1790)
Achatina raffrayi Jousseaume, 1883: synonym of Leptocallista raffrayi (Jousseaume, 1883)
Achatina rediviva Mabille, 1901: synonym of Lissachatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822)
Achatina reticulata Pfeiffer, 1845 - Zanzibar: synonym of Lissachatina reticulata (L. Pfeiffer, 1845)
Achatina semitarum L. Pfeiffer, 1842: synonym of Laevaricella semitarum (L. Pfeiffer, 1842)
Achatina sylvatica Putzeys, 1898 - Congo: synonym of Leptocalina putzeysi (Dautzenberg & Germain, 1914)
Achatina varicosa Pfeiffer, 1845 - South Africa: synonym of Cochlitoma varicosa (L. Pfeiffer, 1861)
Achatina variegata Lamarck, 1801: synonym of Achatina achatina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Achatina variegata var. minima Germain, 1912: synonym of Achatina achatina elegans (Link, 1807)
Achatina vignoniana Morelet, 1874: synonym of Achatina (Tripachatina) vignoniana Morelet, 1874
Achatina wildemani Dautzenberg, 1907: synonym of Leptocalina specularis (Morelet, 1866)
Achatina yalaensis Germain, 1936: synonym of Oreohomorus connollyi (Odhner, 1932)
Achatina zanzibarica Bourguignat, 1879 - Tanzania: synonym of Lissachatina zanzibarica (Bourguignat, 1879)
Achatina zebra Bruguiere, 1792 - South Africa: synonym of Cochlitoma zebra (Bruguière, 1792)

References[edit]

^ Lamarck J.-B. (1799). Mém. Soc. Hist. nat. Paris 1: 75.
^ Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818098 on 2014-11-07
^ Bruggen A. C. van (2010). "A new record of ‘Achatina’ vassei Germain, 1918 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Achatinidae) from Mozambique – an unsolved problem". Zoologische Mededelingen 84. HTM Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Du Cane Godman, Frederick. Annali Del Museo Civico Di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria", Museo civico di storia naturale, Genoa, 1916, p. 245

External links[edit]

Achatinidae Archived 2018-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
Land snails
Land snails in captivity

[1] Lamarck J.-B. (1799). Mém. Soc. Hist. nat. Paris 1: 75.

[WoRMS-2] Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818098 on 2014-11-07

[Bruggen_2010-3] Bruggen A. C. van (2010). "A new record of ‘Achatina’ vassei Germain, 1918 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Achatinidae) from Mozambique – an unsolved problem". Zoologische Mededelingen 84. HTM Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine.

[4] Du Cane Godman, Frederick. Annali Del Museo Civico Di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria", Museo civico di storia naturale, Genoa, 1916, p. 245

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