Semi-slugs, also spelled semislugs, are land gastropods whose shells are too small for them to retract into, but not quite vestigial. The shell of some semi-slugs may not be easily visible on casual inspection, because the shell may be covered over with the mantle.
This is a type of gastropod that is intermediate between a slug (without an external shell) and a land snail (with a large enough shell to retract completely into).
There exist a number of gastropod families that have semi-slug species. There exist about 1,000 species of semi-slugs in comparison to about only 500 species of slugs.
Examples
Semi-slugs have a worldwide distribution and have evolved in several families; genera include:
- Palearctic and Nearctic
- family Parmacellidae: Cryptella
- family Vitrinidae: Eucobresia, Semilimax, Vitrina, Vitrinobrachium
- Asia - Pacific
- family Ariophantidae: Parmarion, Ratnadvipia, Varadia
- family Helicarionidae: Attenborougharion, Helicarion, Howearion, Ibycus, Parmellops, Ubiquitarion
- Semi-slugs also exist but are exceptional in the Camaenidae.
- Neotropics
- family Amphibulimidae: Amphibulima, Gaeotis
- family Xanthonychidae: Cryptostrakon, Semiconchula, Xanthonyx
- family Pleurodontidae: Coloniconcha prima
- Tropical Africa
- family Urocyclidae: Gymnarion [citation needed]
See also
- "Leatherleaf slugs" - Veronicellidae
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