Succinea caduca is a species of land snail native to Hawai'i.[1] [2]

Succinea caduca
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Succineidae
Genus: Succinea
Species:
S. caduca
Binomial name
Succinea caduca
(Mighels, 1845)[1]

Taxonomy edit

Succinea caduca is a species of clade B of succineid species on Hawai'i, as identified using nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA markers. The clade (and thus, this species) arose in an evolutionary radiation relatively more recent than the other clade of succineids, clade A.[3]

Description edit

Succinea caduca has an approximately oval-shaped, fragile shell, about a third of an inch in length and a fifth of an inch in breadth. This shell has about two and a half whorls with a prominent spire, and is "horn color".[1]

Distribution edit

Succinea caduca was first described as inhabiting the island O'ahu in 1848,[1] but have since been found to inhabit six Hawaiian islands (O'ahu, Lāna'i, Mokoka'i, Kaua'i, Maui, and Hawai'i) in a field survey conducted from 2004–2005.[4] They are the only species in clade B of succineid species to inhabit more than one island.[3] They live at the coast, and are commonly seen in coastal gullies after heavy rain. An experiment found that they could survive 12 hours of immersion in sea water, indicating they may have been able to move between islands by riding on materials drifting in the water.[5] S. caduca inhabits relatively arid habitats.[6]

Habitat edit

Succinea caduca tend to be found under overhangs, in cracks in vertical lava rock, in leaf litter, and in dense grass. S. caduca also inhabits anthropogenic areas, such that have introduced, nonnative plants and disturbance from urban development. S. caduca prefers dry areas.[4]

Conservation status edit

Succinea caduca is one of the few land snail species on Hawai'i that is nonendangered, as well as inhabiting multiple islands.[5] A possible explanation for this is its distribution in dry areas, which may only partially overlap with the distribution of Euglandina rosea, a predator snail species that was introduced to Hawai'i and is a major contributor to native Hawaiian land snail species declining.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Mighels, J.W. (1848). "Descriptions of shells from the Sandwich Islands, and other localities". Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 2: 18–25 [21].
  2. ^ MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Succinea caduca Mighels, 1845. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1464551 on 2023-04-12
  3. ^ a b Cowie, Robert H; Holland, Brenden S (September 2, 2008). "Review. Molecular biogeography and diversification of the endemic terrestrial fauna of the Hawaiian Islands". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 363 (1508): 3363–3376 [3367–3368]. doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0061. PMC 2607369. PMID 18765363.
  4. ^ a b c Holland, Brenden S; Cowie, Robert H (January 2006). "New island records of an endemic Hawaiian land snail species, Succinea caduca Mighels (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Succineidae)". Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 88: 58–60.
  5. ^ a b van Dooren, Thom (March 20, 2023). "The Mysterious Deep Time Movements of Snails". The MIT Press Reader. The MIT Press. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Succineid Morphology". The Cowie Lab. University of Hawaii. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2023.

External links edit