Classification

Domain: Eukarya
                 Kingdom: Animalia
                                  Phylum: Mollusca
                                                 Class: Gastropoda
                                                              Order: Stylommatophora
                                                                            Family: Polygyridae
                                                                                          Genus: Stenotrema
                                                                                                        Species: barbatum 
                                                                                                                     (Animal Diversity Web, 2008)

Characteristics of Classification
The bristled slitmouth is placed in the Domain Eukarya because of the presence of a nucleus (Hickman etal., 2009).  It is placed in the Kingdom Animalia because it is multicellular and has cell walls (Hickman etal., 2009). It can be placed in the Phylum Mollusca because it is a coelomate, possesses a radula, and the body is divided into three parts: the mantle (secretes the shell), the visceral mass (internal organs and external gills), and a muscular foot (Hickman etal., 2009). 

It is placed in the Class Gastropoda because it has a single coiled shell, in which it can withdraw its body when threatened, as well as displaying torsion (180 degree twisting of the visceral mass) (Hickman etal., 2009).

It is placed in the Order Stylommatophora since it is a terrestrial snail that engages in direct development (Animal Diversity Web, 2008).  Stenotrema barbatum is placed in the Family Polygyridae because its shell is made of flat, loosely coiled, striated whorls, and the base of its shell is smooth (Pilsbry, 1940). It is  placed in the Genus Stenotrema from the presence of a "butress" on the parietal tooth, and set apart from the Genus Polygyra by the differences in the papillos or striate embryonic whorls, the form of the apertural teeth, and by broad ribs of the jaw (Pilsbry, 1940).  It is named as its own species, barbatum, due to differences between Stenotrema stenotrenum (Pilsbry, 1940).

This is a picture of Stenotrema barbatum along with some of the other species in the Genus Stenotrema for visual comparison.



Left to right; top row: Stenotrema deceptum, S. exodon, S. stenotrema; bottom row: S. turbinella, S. leai aliciae, S. barbatum, S. cf. calvescens.

To find out where Stenotrema barbatum calls home click here. 

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