Pachychilidae

File:Pachychilidae world.jpg

Pachychilids are freshwater snails with a worldwide distribution in the tropics. Representatives are found in South and Central America, Africa, Madagascar, South and South-east Asia and tropical Australia (Queensland: Torres Strait Islands).

Pachychilids have an operculum, which is concentric and multispiral.

All species in the family inhabit freshwater except Faunus ater, which is a brackish water snail found in estuaries and other coastal habitats. Pachychilids are either oviparous (lay eggs), ovoviviparous or viviparous (retain developing eggs and youngs in special incubatory structures).

The name is derived from a combination of the words 'pachy' (Greek = thick) and the suffix '-chilus' (Greek = Lip), meaning 'thick lipped' - with respect to the thickened aperture of the shell in some species.

Most 20th-century authors did not recognize Pachychilidae as an independent family, but affiliated species under different groups, such as Thiaridae and Pleuroceridae. However, recent revisions based on molecular and morphological evidence have proven their independent and distinct status from the former.

This family has no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).{{Bouchet 2005}}

File:Pachychilidae shells.jpg

Genera within the family Pachychilidae include:

• † Bellatara Strand, 1928 - with only one species Bellatara janus (Mayer, 1870)Gofas, S. (2015). Pachychilidae P. Fischer & Crosse, 1892. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=411651 on 2015-10-09
• Brotia H. Adams, 1866Köhler F. & Glaubrecht M. (2006). "A systematic revision of the Southeast Asian freshwater gastropod Brotia (Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae)." Malacologia 48: 159-251.
• Doryssa Swainson, 1840
• † Eginea Pacaud & Harzhauser, 2012
• Faunus de Montfort, 1810 with the only species Faunus ater (Linnaeus, 1758)Lok A. F. S. L., Ang W. F., Ng P. X., Ng B. Y. Q. & Tan S. K. (2011). "Status and distribution of Faunus ater (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mollusca: Cerithioidea) in Singapore". Nature in Singapore 4: 115-121. [http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/nis/bulletin2011/2011nis115-121.pdf PDF].
• Jagora Köhler & Glaubrecht, 2003Köhler F. & Glaubrecht M. (2003). "Morphology, reproductive biology and molecular genetics of ovoviviparous freshwater gastropods (Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) from the Philippines, with description of the new genus Jagora". Zoologica Scripta 32(1): 35-59. {{doi|10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00100.x}}.
• † Jponsia Pacaud & Harzhauser, 2012
• Madagasikara Köhler & Glaubrecht, 2010 - synonym: Melanatria Bowdich, 1822 auctt.Köhler F. & Glaubrecht M. (2010). "Uncovering an overlooked radiation: molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Madagascar’s endemic river snails (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae: Madagasikara gen. nov.). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99: 867-894. {{doi|10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01390.x}}.
• † Nodifaunus Olsson, 1944
• Pachychilus I. Lea & H. C. Lea, 1851 - type genus of the family Pachychilidae
• Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900Köhler F. & Glaubrecht M. (2007). "Out of Asia and into India - On the molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the endemic freshwater gastropod Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900 (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae)." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 91: 627-651. {{doi|10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00866.x}}.
• Potadoma Swainson, 1840
• † Pseudobellardia Cox, 1931
• Pseudopotamis Martens, 1894Glaubrecht M. & von Rintelen T. (2003). "Systematics, molecular genetics and historical zoogeography of the viviparous freshwater gastropod Pseudopotamis (Cerithioidea, Pachychilidae): a relic on the Torres Strait Islands, Australia". Zoologica Scripta 32(5): 415-435. {{doi|10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00127.x}}.
• Sulcospira Troschel, 1858 - synonym: Adamietta Brandt, 1974Köhler F. & Dames C. (2009). "Phylogeny and systematics of the Pachychilidae of mainland Southeast Asia – novel insights from morphology and mitochondrial DNA (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Cerithioidea)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157: 679-699. {{doi|10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00541.x}}.
• † Tinnyea Hantken, 1887
• Tylomelania Sarasin & Sarasin, 1897von Rintelen T. & Glaubrecht M. (2005). "Anatomy of an adaptive radiation: a unique reproductive strategy in the endemic freshwater gastropod Tylomelania (Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) on Sulawesi, Indonesia and its biogeographical implications." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 85: 513–542. {{doi|10.1111/j.1095-8312.2005.00515.x}}.
• † Wingeastonia K. Martin, 1906

;Genera brought into synonymy:

• Acrostoma Brot, 1871: synonym of Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900
• Antimelania P. Fischer & Crosse, 1892: synonym of Brotia H. Adams, 1866
• Brotella Rovereto, 1899: synonym of Paracrostoma Cossmann, 1900
• Fauninae Cossmann, 1909 (subfamily) : synonym of Pachychilidae P. Fischer & Crosse, 1892
• Melanatria Bowdich, 1822: synonym of Faunus Montfort, 1810
• Oxymelania Crosse & P. Fischer, 1892: synonym of Pachychilus I. Lea & H. C. Lea, 1851
• Pirena Lamarck, 1822: synonym of Faunus Montfort, 1810
• Sphaeromelania Rovereto, 1899: synonym of Pachychilus I. Lea & H. C. Lea, 1851
• Wanga Chen, 1943: synonym of Brotia H. Adams, 1866

A cladogram based on sequences of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA sequences showing phylogenic relations of Pachychilidae:

{{clade

|label1=Pachychilidae

|1={{clade

|1=Faunus ater

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1=Potadoma freethi

|2=Doryssa consolidata

}}

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1=Sulcospira hainanensis

|2={{clade

|1=Sulcospira testudinaria

|2=Sulcospira housei

|3={{clade

|label1=Brotia

|1={{clade

|1=Brotia pagodula

|2=Brotia sumatrensis

}}

|label2=Paracrostoma

|2={{clade

|1=Paracrostoma martini

|2=Paracrostoma tigrina

}}

}}

}}

}}

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1={{clade

|label1=Pseudopotamis

|1={{clade

|1=Pseudopotamis supralirata

|2=Pseudopotamis semoni

}}

|label2=Tylomelania

|2={{clade

|1=Tylomelania perfecta

|2=Tylomelania neritiformis

}}

}}

|label2=Jagora

|2={{clade

|1=Jagora dactylus

|2=Jagora asperata

}}

}}

|2={{clade

|label1=Pachychilus

|1={{clade

|1=Pachychilus indiorum

|2=Pachychilus conicus

}}

|label2=Madagasikara

|2={{clade

|1=Madagasikara madagascariensis

|2={{clade

|1=Madagasikara spinosa

|2={{clade

|1=Madagasikara zazavavindrano

|2={{clade

|1=Madagasikara vazimba

|2=Madagasikara vivipara

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

{{Reflist}}

• Köhler F., von Rintelen T., Meyer A. & Glaubrecht M. (2004). "Multiple origin of viviparity in southeast Asian gastropods (Cerithioidea: Pachychilidae) and its evolutionary implications". Evolution 58(10): 2215-2226. {{doi|10.1554/04-344}}.

• {{Commons category-inline|Pachychilidae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2045444}}

Category:Gastropod families