Helicinidae is a family of small tropical land snails which have an operculum. They are terrestrial operculate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicinoidea.
These snails are not at all closely related to the air-breathing land snails, despite a superficial similarity of the shells. The name "Helicinidae" immediately reminds most people of "Helicidae", the most popular group of land snails including e.g. Helix pomatia, but the important two letters "ni" only from the Latin diminutive of the latter name alluding to superficial similarities of otherwise completely different things.
Distribution
These snails are found in tropical and subtropical areas but they have an odd distribution: they are restricted to the Caribbean islands and some Indo-Pacific and Pacific islands, as well as the edge of the Asian and Australian continents. Some species are found in the southern United States, from Louisiana to Florida; others in Central and South America.
Taxonomy
Helicinidae belongs to superfamily Helicinoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
This family consists of six following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005): Helicininae Férussac, 1822 - synonym: Olygyridae Gray, 1847; Bourcierinae Paetel, 1890 Ceratodiscinae Pilsbry, 1927 † Dimorphoptychiinae Wenz, 1938 Hendersoniinae H. B. Baker, 1926 Stoastomatinae C. B. Adams, 1849 Vianinae H. B. Baker, 1922
Genera
Genera within the family Helicinidae include:
Subfamily Helicininae
Alcadia Gray, 1840
Aphanoconia A. J. Wagner, 1905
Bourciera Pfeiffer, 1852
Ceochasma F. G. Thompson, 1968
Ceratopoma Möllendorff, 1893
Emoda Adams, 1856
Glyptemoda Clench & Aguayo, 1950
Helicina Lamarck, 1799 - type genus of the family Helicinidae
Hemipoma Wagner, 1905
Kosmetopoma A. J. Wagner, 1905
Negopenia Iredale, 1941
Nesiocina Richling & Bouchet, 2013
Ogasawarana Wagner, 1905
Olygyra Say, 1818: synonym of Helicina Lamarck, 1799 (original rank) Orobophana Wagner, 1905 Palaeohelicina A. J. Wagner, 1905 Pecoviana Iredale, 1941 Pleuropoma Moellendorff, 1893 Schasicheila Shuttleworth, 1852 Stoastomops Baker, 1924 Sturanya Wagner, 1905 Sulfurina Möllendorff, 1893
subfamily Ceratodiscinae
Ceratodiscus Simpson & Henderson, 1901 - type genus of the subfamily Ceratodiscinae
Subfamily † Dimorphoptychiinae
† Dimorphoptychia Sandberger, 1871 - type genus of the subfamily Dimorphoptychiinae
Subfamily Hendersoniinae
Hendersonia A. J. Wagner, 1905 - type genus of the subfamily Hendersoniinae
Waldemaria Wagner, 1905
Subfamily Stoastomatinae
Stoastoma C. B. Adams, 1849 - type genus of the subfamily Stoastomatinae
Subfamily Vianinae
Calidviana Baker, 1954
Calybium Morelet, 1891
Eutrochatella Fischer, 1885
Geophorus Fischer, 1885
Heudeia Crosse, 1885
Lucidella Swainson, 1840
Pseudotrochatella Nevill, 1881
Pyrgodomus Fischer & Crosse, 1893
Viana H. Adams & A. Adams, 1856 - type genus of the subfamily Vianinae
Subfamily ? Priotrochatella Fischer, 1893 Semitrochatella Aguayo & Jaume, 1958 Sturanyella Pilsbry & Cooke, 1934 Troschelviana Baker, 1922 Ustronia Kobelt, 1908