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Prophysaon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prophysaon
Prophysaon andersoni
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Infraorder: Arionoidei
Superfamily: Arionoidea
Family: Ariolimacidae
Genus: Prophysaon
Bland & W. G. Binney, 1873[1]
Synonyms
  • Limacarion J.G. Cooper, 1879
  • Phenacarion Cockerell, 1890
  • Prophysaon (Mimetarion) Pilsbry, 1948· accepted, alternate representation
  • Prophysaon (Prophysaon) Bland & W.G. Binney, 1873· accepted, alternate representation

Prophysaon, common name taildropper slugs, is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Ariolimacidae.[2]

These slugs can self-amputate (autotomy) a portion of their tail.[3] This autotomy has been observed in the species Prophysaon andersoni.[4]

Distribution

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This genus of slugs occurs in North America, including California and Oregon.

Species

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Species in the genus Prophysaon include 10 species (9 according to Turgeon et al. 1998[5][6] plus one known undescribed species[3]):

Species brought into synonymy
  • Prophysaon flavum Cockerell, 1890: synonym of Prophysaon andersonii (J.G. Cooper, 1872)
  • Prophysaon hemphilli Bland & W. G. Binney, 1873: synonym of Prophysaon andersonii (J.G. Cooper, 1872)
  • Prophysaon pacificum Cockerell, 1890: synonym of Prophysaon andersonii (J.G. Cooper, 1872)

References

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  1. ^ Bland, Thomas; Binney, W. G. (1873). "On Prophysaon, a New Pulmonate Mollusk, on Ariolimax, on Helix Lymnuchus and Other Species". Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York. 10: 293.
  2. ^ MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Prophysaon Bland & W.G. Binney, 1873. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=995729 on 2021-08-26
  3. ^ a b c Rory J. Mc Donnel, Timothy D. Paine & Michael J. Gormally. 2009. Slugs: A Guide to the Invasive and Native Fauna of California Archived 2011-07-04 at the Wayback Machine. 21 pp., ISBN 978-1-60107-564-2. page 9
  4. ^ Hand, C., and W.M. Ingram. 1950. Natural history observations on Prophysaon andersoni (J.G. Cooper) with special reference to amputation. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 49: 15-28.
  5. ^ Thomas E. Burke. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TERRESTRIAL MOLLUSK SPECIES Prophysaon coeruleum, Blue-Gray Taildropper & Prophysaon dubium, Papillose Taildropper http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/surveyandmanage/MR/TM4Species/2000-015_3.pdf
  6. ^ ITIS accessed 17 January 2009.
  7. ^ Roth B. & Sadeghian P. S. 2006. Checklist of the Land Snails and Slugs of California. Contributions in Science 3. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, California. 82 pp.
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