Architectonicidae

Architectonicidae, common name the staircase shells or sundials, are a family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the informal group "Lower Heterobranchia" (= Allogastropoda) of the clade Heterobranchia.

Architectonicidae
A live individual of Architectonica perspectiva
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Superfamily:	Architectonicoidea
Family:	Architectonicidae Gray, 1850
Genera
See text

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

Genera

Genera within the family Architectonicidae include:^[1][2]

A shell of Heliacus variegatus

• Adelphotectonica Bieler, 1987
• Aguayodiscus Jaume & Borro, 1946
• Architectonica Röding, 1798 – type genus
• Awarua Mestayer, 1930^[3]
• 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 d'Orbigny, 1842
• †Intitectonica Frassinetti & Covacevich, 1984
• †Nigerialaxis Adegoke, 1977
• †Nipteraxis Cossmann, 1916
• †Nodosolarium Sacco, 1892
• Paurodiscus Rehder, 1935
• Philippia J. E. Gray, 1847
• †Platylaxis Adegoke, 1977
• Pseudomalaxis P. Fischer, 1885
• †Pseudotorinia Sacco, 1892
• Psilaxis Woodring, 1928
• †Punjabia Eames, 1952
• Pyrgoheliacus Bieler, 1987
• RedivivusMelone & Taviani, 1985
• †Rinaldoconchus Bandel, 1988
• Solatisonax Iredale, 1931
• Spirolaxis 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 Finlay, 1927
• Zerotula Finlay, 1927

Genera brought into synonymy

• Acutitectonica Habe, 1961: synonym of Discotectonica Marwick, 1931
• Astronacus Woodring, 1959: synonym of Heliacus (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 Heliacus d'Orbigny, 1842

References

1. "Architectonicidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
2. Bieler R. & Petit R. E. (2005). "Catalogue of Recent and fossil taxa of the family Architectonicidae Gray, 1850 (Mollusca: Gastropoda)". Zootaxa 1101: 1–119. PDF.
3. Mestayer (1930). Trans. New Zealand Inst. 61: 145.

• 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

Further reading

• Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1