Architectonicidae,

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

the staircase shells or sundials, are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of sea snails, marine gastropod

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...

s in the informal group "Lower Heterobranchia" (= Allogastropoda) of the clade

Heterobranchia Heterobranchia, the ''heterobranchs'' (meaning "different-gilled snails"), is a taxonomic clade of snails and slugs, which includes marine, aquatic and terrestrial gastropod mollusks. Heterobranchia is one of the main clades of gastropods. C ...

. The extinct families † Amphitomariidae Bandel, 1994 and † Cassianaxidae Bandel, 1996 belong to the same superfamily.

Genera

Genera within the family Architectonicidae include: Heliacus variegatus 01

* '' Adelphotectonica'' Bieler, 1987 * '' Aguayodiscus'' Jaume & Borro, 1946 * '' Architectonica'' Röding, 1798 – type genus * '' Awarua'' Mestayer, 1930Mestayer (1930). ''Trans. New Zealand Inst.'' 61: 145. * '' Basisulcata'' Melone & Taviani, 1985 * †'' Calodisculus'' Rehder, 1935 * †'' Climacopoma'' Fischer, 1885 * †'' Dinaxis'' Dall in Aldrich, 1895 * †'' Discotectonica'' Marwick, 1931 * †'' Disculus'' Deshayes, 1863 * †'' Eosolarium'' Chavan, 1947 * †'' Ewekorolaxis'' Adegoke, 1977 * '' Grandeliacus'' Iredale, 1957 represented as ''Heliacus (Grandeliacus)'' Iredale, 1957 (alternate representation) * †'' Granoheliacus'' Melone & Taviani, 1985 * †'' Granosolarium'' Sacco, 1892 * '' Gyriscus'' Tiberi, 1867 * ''

Heliacus ''Heliacus'' is a genus of gastropods belonging to the family Architectonicidae. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution. Species: *'' Heliacus anaglyptus'' *''Heliacus areola'' *'' Heliacus asteleformis'' *''Heliacus bisulcatus'' *'' Hel ...

d'Orbigny Alcide Charles Victor Marie Dessalines d'Orbigny (6 September 1802 – 30 June 1857) was a French naturalist who made major contributions in many areas, including zoology (including malacology), palaeontology, geology, archaeology and anthropol ...

, 1842 * †'' Intitectonica'' Frassinetti & Covacevich, 1984 * †'' Nigerialaxis'' Adegoke, 1977 * †'' Nipteraxis'' Cossmann, 1916 * †'' Nodosolarium'' Sacco, 1892 * '' Paurodiscus'' Rehder, 1935 * ''

Philippia ''Philippia'' is a genus of plant in family Ericaceae. Its species range from southern to tropical Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarene Islands. ''Philippia'' is a characteristic Afromontane genus in southern and eastern Africa, found in montane ...

'' J. E. Gray, 1847 * †'' Platylaxis'' Adegoke, 1977 * '' Pseudomalaxis'' P. Fischer, 1885 * †''

Pseudotorinia ''Pseudotorinia'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Architectonicidae, the staircase shells or sundials.Bieler, R. & Petit, R. E. (2005). "Catalogue of Recent and fossil taxa of the family Architectonicidae Gray, ...

'' Sacco, 1892 * ''

Psilaxis ''Psilaxis'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Architectonicidae, the staircase shells or sundials.Bieler, R. (2012). Psilaxis Woodring, 1928. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.mari ...

'' Woodring, 1928 * '' †Punjabia'' Eames, 1952 * '' Pyrgoheliacus'' Bieler, 1987 * '' Redivivus''Melone & Taviani, 1985 * †'' Rinaldoconchus'' Bandel, 1988 * ''

Solatisonax ''Solatisonax'' is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Architectonicidae, the staircase shells or sundials.Bieler, R. & Petit, R. E. (2005). "Catalogue of Recent and fossil taxa of the ...

'' Iredale, 1931 * ''

Spirolaxis ''Spirolaxis'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snail ...

'' di Monterosato, 1913 * †'' Stellaxis'' Dall, 1892 * '' Teretropoma'' Rochebrune, 1881 represented as ''Heliacus (Teretropoma)'' Rochebrune, 1881 (alternate representation) * '' Torinista'' Iredale, 1936 represented as ''Heliacus (Torinista)'' Iredale, 1936 (alternate representation) * †'' Trimalaxis'' Garvie, 1996 * †''

Wangaloa Wangaloa is a small coastal settlement in South Otago South Otago lies in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand. As the name suggests, it forms the southernmost part of the geographical region of Otago. The exact definition of the ar ...

'' Finlay, 1927 * '' Zerotula'' Finlay, 1927 ;Genera brought into synonymy: * ''Acutitectonica'' Habe, 1961: synonym of '' Discotectonica'' Marwick, 1931 * ''Astronacus'' Woodring, 1959: synonym of ''

'' (Torinista) Iredale, 1936 * ''Claraxis'' Iredale, 1936: synonym of '' Granosolarium'' Sacco, 1892 * ''Discosolis'' Dall, 1892: synonym of '' Pseudomalaxis'' P. Fischer, 1885 * ''Mangonuia'' Mestayer, 1930: synonym of '' Pseudomalaxis'' P. Fischer, 1885 * †''Patulaxis'' Dall, 1892: synonym of † '' Climacopoma'' Fischer, 1885 * ''Russetia'' Garrard, 1961: synonym of '' Discotectonica'' Marwick, 1931 * †''Solariaxis'' Dall, 1892 : synonym of '' Granosolarium'' Sacco, 1892 * ''Solarium'' Lamarck, 1799: synonym of '' Architectonica'' Röding, 1798 * ''Torinia'' Gray, 1842 : synonym of ''

'' d'Orbigny, 1842

References

* Bieler R. (1993). ''Architectonicidae of the Indo-Pacific (Mollusca, Gastropoda)''. Abhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg (NF) 30: 1–376 * Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (2005) ''Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families.'' Malacologia 47(1–2): 1–397 * Marco Taviani, ''Revisione delle Architectonicidae del Mediterraneo''; Milano, 1984

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1947528 Taxa named by John Edward Gray

Genera

References

Further reading

External links