Discrimination and Taxonomic Status of the Japanese bubble snail Haloa japonica

Haloa japonica is one of the most common species in the family Haminoeidae. However, its binomial name has long been controversial, with synonyms Haminoea binotata , Haloa rotundata, and Haloa callidegenita used in different publications. In this study, the taxonomic status of Haloa japonica was reviewed, and 15 Haminoeidae specimens collected from tide pools in Taiping Wan, Qingdao, Shandong, (China) were confirmed to be Haloa japonica (Pilsbry, 1895) on the basis of morphological and molecular analysis. Additionally, after comparison with Haloa japonica , morphologically similar and partially sympatric species, Haminoea binotata Pilsbry, 1895 and Bakawan rotundata (A. Adams, 1850) were identified to represent two valid species. This study has provided the first molecular data of Haloa japonica from China and could be beneficial for further taxonomy of the family Haminoeidae.