Camaenidae

Camaenidae
A live individual of Meridolum gulosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Eupulmonata clade Stylommatophora informal group Sigmurethra
Superfamily:	Helicoidea
Family:	Camaenidae Pilsbry, 1895
Diversity
87 genera, 449 species

Camaenidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea, the typical snails and their allies.

This is one of the most diverse families in the clade Stylommatophora.

These snails occur in a wide variety of habitats in the tropics of Eastern Asia and Australasia.

A large American group, which is mainly represented by species from the Caribbean, has until recently also be subsumed under the Camaenidae. However, latest molecular phylogenetic studies showed that these species represent a different family, the Pleurodontidae.

This molecular study also implies that the Bradybaenidae, currently being treated as a distinct family within the Helicoidea, is a junior synonym of the Camaenidae.

Camaenid shells are often quite large (25–50 mm), but a number of species also have small shells (<5 mm). Shells reveal a remarkable diversity in shape and colour, which is partly linked with their life style. For instance, arboreal species tend to have large and conical shells, whereas terrestrial species often have rather flat shells. The shells of some taxa can be vividly coloured, showing banding or other conspicuous patterns, but others are plain and uniform.

This family is defined by a missing diverticulum and a missing stimulatory organ. It is suggested that the family Camaenidae as currently delimited is a polyphyletic taxon. There are no synapomorphies uniting this diverse family. The American group is closely related to the families Helicidae and Helminthoglyptidae, while the Australasian group is a closely related to the Bradybaenidae.

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