Classification
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Polygridae
Genus: Inflectarius
Species: Inflectarius approximans
Common Name: Tight-gapped Shagreen
Eukarya: Inflectarius approximans was placed into this Domain due to the fact that its cells contain membrane-bound nuclei (Hickman et al. 2012).
Animalia: Inflectarius approximans was placed in this Kingdom because they are multicellular and are either vertebrates or invertebrates. Snails, as well as this snail, happen to be invertebrates. Another interesting characteristic that places Inflectarius approximans in the Kingdom Animalia is the way it consumes food. They ingest and then digest, which is an important animal distinguisher (Hickman et al. 2012).
Mollusca: Inflectarius approximans was placed in this Phylum because it has a soft body with a hydrostatic skeleton. Other indicating characteristics that place snails in the Phylum Molluska is the development of a fluid-filled cavity called a coelom which is suspended within the mesoderm. Many Mollusks have a protective shell just like Inflectarius approximans which severely limits growth (Hickman et al. 2012).
Gastropoda: Inflectarius approximans was placed in the Class Gastropoda because of a very unique characteristic. During gastropod development something called torsion occurs where the position of the mouth and anus are inverted and twisted. This can cause problems where waste is excreted onto the gills(fouling) which can cause serious issues (Hickman et al. 2012).
Stylommatophora: Inflectarius approximans has a pair of retractable tentacles which is the identifying character of this Order (Encyclopedia of Life, 2012).
Polygridae: Inflectarius approximans was placed into this Family for being terrestrial and containing an air breathing lung (Encyclopedia of Life). They have also been placed here because they lack what is known as love darts (Zipcode Zoo, 2012).
Inflectarius: This
is an entire genus that has been identified
by a light brown shell they possess that could be described as a
medium size in comparison with other members of the Polygridae
family (Franzen,
1994).
Inflectarius approximans: This is the species name of the snail that this page is all about. In Latin inflecto means to curve or to bend, and approximatus means close together (LadDict, 2012). This gives insight as to why this species was named by G.H. Clapp. The difference between Inflectarius approximans and other genus of Inflectarius is that the distance between its lip teeth in the shell is closer together (Pilsbry, 1940). To see a picture that better represents the distance between the lip teeth and information that goes in depth about what makes Inflectarius approximans unique wander over to our Adaptations page.
Tight-gapped Shagreen: This is the common name of Inflectarius approximans It gets this name, as it is also described in the species section, as having a smaller distance between the lip teeth in its shell(Encyclopedia of Life).