Systematics of Ophicardelus (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Ellobiidae)

Ophicardelus is currently used for a small group of estuarine ellobiid snails found in Australia and New Zealand, but a previous study (Hyman et al. 2004) suggested that it may not be monophyletic. In the present study, morphological data are used in a cladistic analysis to test the monophyly of Ophicardelus. Taxa included are the three Australian species (Ophicardelus ornatus, O. quoyi and O. sulcatus), the New Zealand Ophicardelus costellaris, nine other Australasian Ellobiidae and outgroup Salinator solida (Amphibolidae). The results show that Ophicardelus is not monophyletic and a new genus, Pleuroloba, is introduced for quoyi and costellaris. Ophicardelus is distinguished from Pleuroloba by the presence of a pallial gland and the absence of a muscular vagina. The cladistic analysis indicated that Ophicardelus and Pleuroloba both belong in Pythiinae, but did not support Cassidulinae as recognised by Martins in 1998.