Galapagos Species Database

Shell perforate, with a small umbilicus, conical, obscurely striate, shining, yellowish, brown-banded; suture bordered, crenulate, whitish; with 7–8 rather convex whorls, the last scarcely equaling ⅓ of the total length; aperture semi-oval, peristome straight, simple, acute; columella obscurely twisted, columellar margin reflexed, semi-covering the perforation. Length 19 mm, diameter 10 mm; aperture 5 mm long, 4 mm wide. This shell is from Chatham Island, Galapagos; it is unlike any other known Bulimus, and its characters distinctly indicate affinity with the Achatinellinae. This appears to be the original description of Bulimus achatellinus Forbes, 1850 (now often placed in Bulimulus or Naesiotus achatellinus), a species endemic to the Galápagos Islands (specifically recorded from San Cristóbal Island, formerly known as Chatham Island). It is a member of the Bulimulidae family and shows traits linking it to the Pacific Achatinellinae group, though modern classifications place it firmly within the Galápagos bulimulid radiation. Many such species are now considered critically endangered or vulnerable due to habitat changes and invasive species in the archipelago.