Pacificella variabilis ( Odhner, 1922 )

Araya, Juan Francisco, 2015, Current status of the non-indigenous molluscs in Chile, with the first record of Otala punctata (Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda: Helicidae) in the country and new records for Cornu aspersum (Müller, 1774) and Deroceras laeve (Müller, 1774), Journal of Natural History 49 (29), pp. 1731-1761 : 1739

Genus Pacificella Odhner in Skottsberg, 1922 Pacificella variabilis ( Odhner, 1922)

Description

Odhner (1922), Cooke and Kondo (1960).

Distribution

Native to Henderson Island ( Preece 1995), widespread in the South Pacific Islands from Western Polynesia ( Samoa, Tonga) throughout southeastern Polynesia to Easter Island ( Kirch et al. 2009). In Chile this species has been recorded only in Easter Island (39°48 ʹ S, 73°14 ʹ W) ( Stuardo and Vega 1985; Stuardo and Vargas-Almonacid 2000), and it was found for the first time in Chile by Odhner (1922).

Possible mechanism of introduction/Status

Human transportation/established ( Stuardo and Vargas-Almonacid 2000).

Remarks

Although this species was described as native to Easter Island ( Odhner 1922), it is probably native to Henderson Island, where some fossil shells are present in sedimentary deposits pre-dating human settlement ( Preece 1995). EA, UI.