Gambiodonta pilsbryi Cooke & Solem

Pilsbry’s Gambiodonta Snail (Gambiodonta pilsbryi)

This species was described in 1976 based on 88 specimens that had been collected in 1934 near the Gahutu Bay (often referred to as Ganhutu) on the island of Mangareva, Gambier Islands.

The shells reached average sizes of 0,45 to 0,53 cm in diameter. [1]

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There are also 79 specimens collected in 1934 on the islet of Aukena, 5 km southeast of Mangareva which originally were described as a distinct subspecies (Gambiodonta pilsbryi ssp. aukenensis Cooke & Solem), but this classification was later rejected. [1][2]

The species also occurred on the islet of Agakauitai, offshore Mangareva Island, where subfossil shells were recovered during field searches in 1997. [2]

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References:

[1] Alan Solem: Endodontoid land snails from Pacific Islands (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Sigmurethra). Part I, Family Endodontidae. Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, Illinois 1976
[2] Ahmed Abdou; Philippe Bouchet: Noveaux gastéropodes Endodontidae et Punctidae (Mollusca, Pulmonata) récemment éteints de l’archipel des Gambier (Polynésie). Zoosystea 22(4): 689-707. 2000

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edited: 19.04.2019