Athoracophoridae

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Athoracophoridae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Superorder: Heterobranchia
Order: Pulmonata
Suborder: Eupulmonata
Infraorder: Stylommatophora
Superfamily: Athoracophoroidea
Family: Athoracophoridae
P. Fischer, 1883
Genera and species

See text

Athoracophoridae, common name the leaf-veined slugs, are a family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the infraorder Stylommatophora, the stalk-eyed snails and slugs. Many of the species have an attractive pattern on their dorsal surface which resembles the veins in a leaf, hence the common name.

Leaf-veined slugs live on the various land masses and islands in the south-west Pacific area.

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[edit] Distribution

Species in this family are found in eastern Australia, New Zealand including its sub-Antarctic islands, as well as on the Melanesian islands north to New Caledonia and New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

[edit] Habitat

Members of this family are found in damp situations in forests, mountain tussock, and inside the leaf sheaths of nikau palms or flax bushes.

[edit] Description

There is a vestigial internal shell in the form of numerous small calcareous particles. These slugs may be distinguished from all other land slugs by the "leaf veins" on their dorsal surface, and the two, not four, tentacles.

[edit] Genera and species within the Athoracophoridae

[edit] References

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