ABSTRACT
In the absence of knowledge about its anatomy, the systematic position of the genus Chalepotaxis, which inhabits a large part of South East Asia, has been historically dubious. The genitalia, sole of the foot and the caudal region of the type species, Chalepotaxis infantilis (Gredler, V. 1881. Zur Conchylien-Fauna von China. III. Stück. Jahrbücher der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 8, 110–128), are described, which place this genus into the Helicarionidae family. DNA markers (cytochrome oxidase subunit I [COI] and 28S rRNA genes) corroborate this assignment and unequivocally remove the species from the Camaenidae (=Bradybaenidae) and Ariophantidae, where it had previously been placed. Radular morphology of the type species is also re-described and illustrated.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Kurt Auffenberg for correcting the English, to Katharina Jaksch (NHMW) and Sonja Bamberger (NHMW) for their help in the laboratory, and to Isabel Hyman, John Stanisic and Winston Ponder for reviewing the manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.