Part 1.— THE CYCLOPHORID MOLLUSKS OF CUBA 



By Carlos de la Torre and Paul Bartsch 



Family CYCLOPHORIDAE Gray 



Terrestrial taenioglossate prosobrancliiates the mantle cavity of which 

 has been developed into a thin-walled pulmonary sac. The tentacles 

 are attenuatedly elongate-conic, bearing the optic papillae at their 

 outer base. Snout usually short. Foot attenuate posteriorly, entire. 

 The radula rows consist of seven teeth. The shell shape, size, and 

 ornamentation are extremely diversified. The operculum, usually 

 circular, may be a simple chondroid plate or this may bear lamellae 

 or calcifications of various types. 



The family ranges from Mexico south over South America on the 

 mainland as well as over the West Indian Islands. 



In Cuba it is represented by two subfamilies, which the following 

 key will help to differentiate : 



KEY TO THE CUBAN SUBFAMILIES OF THE FAMILY CYCLOPHORIDAE 



Shell elongate-conic Megalomastominae 



Shell helicoid Aperostominae 



Megalomastominae, new subfamily 



Cyclophorid mollusks having an elongate-conic or elongate-turrited 

 shell. Operculum corneous. 



This subfamily embraces the mainland Tomocyclus^ which comes 

 from Guatemala and the adjacent Mexican Chiapas, the Cuban Farci- 

 men, the Hispaniolan Farcimoides, the Puerto Rican Neo'pupina^ 

 typical MegaloTnastoma from the Virgin Islands, and its related sub- 

 genus Megalomastomoides from eastern Puerto Rico. 



Wherever found the animal lives in leaf mulch, or it may even dig 

 in the loose earth about the base of plants until it is completely 

 hidden from sight. Bartsch found Farcimen {Neopupina) curtum 

 (Dall and Simpson) buried completely among the roots of banana 

 trees on the east slope of El Yunque in Puerto Rico. On days of 

 protracted rain they may venture forth from their hiding place and 

 sometimes may climb a foot or so above ground up on the trunk of 

 a mulch-surrounded tree. 



