Heleobia is the most specious genus in the family Cochliopidae, in which many species are morphologically similar. Here we used morphological, microstructural and phylogenetic criteria to investigate species delimitation within the Heleobia chimbaensis complex on the Atacama Desert coast. The range included subdivided populations of the species, the subspecies Heleobia chimbaensis conica, and the allopatric snails from Los Perales, first recognized as a population of H. chimbaensis and more recently considered a candidate species of the group. Traditional shell characters, morphometric analysis, operculum, and protoconch were either uninformative or ambiguous to separate taxa. However, the phylogenetic analysis identified H. chimbaensis, H. chimbaensis conica and four additional populations of the species as a monophyletic group while the population from Los Perales was recovered as a distantly evolutionary significant unit for which the name Heleobia peralensis sp. nov. is provided here. While the geographic isolation and limited dispersal seem to have influenced the diversification and current distribution of H. chimbaensis in Atacama, the origin of Heleobia peralensis sp. nov. remains unclear because of uncertain relationships. A conservation status assessment according to IUCN criteria and NatureServe methodology suggests that both H. chimbaensis and Heleobia peralensis sp. nov. face a high risk of extinction. http://www.zoobank.org:pub:91770DA4-B16F-46AD-A6D6-9638065ED899

中文翻译：

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评估阿塔卡马沙漠海岸 Heleobia chimbaensis（Caenogastropoda：Cochliopidae）范围内的生物多样性

Heleobia 是 Cochliopidae 科中最似是而非的属，其中许多物种在形态上相似。在这里，我们使用形态学、微观结构和系统发育标准来研究阿塔卡马沙漠海岸 Heleobia chimbaensis 复合体内的物种划分。该范围包括该物种的细分种群，亚种 Heleobia chimbaensis conica 和来自 Los Perales 的异域蜗牛，最初被认为是 H. chimbaensis 的一个种群，最近被认为是该组的候选物种。传统的贝壳特征、形态计量分析、鳃盖和原贝壳对于分离分类群来说要么没有信息，要么不明确。然而，系统发育分析确定了 H. chimbaensis、H. chimbaensis conica 和该物种的另外四个种群作为一个单系群，而来自 Los Perales 的种群被恢复为一个远距离进化的重要单位，其名称 Heleobia peralensis sp。十一月 在这里提供。虽然地理隔离和有限的分散似乎影响了 H. chimbaensis 在阿塔卡马的多样化和当前分布，但 Heleobia peralensis sp. 的起源。十一月 由于不确定的关系，仍然不清楚。根据 IUCN 标准和 NatureServe 方法的保护状况评估表明，H. chimbaensis 和 Heleobia peralensis sp。十一月 面临灭绝的高风险。http://www.zoobank.org:pub:91770DA4-B16F-46AD-A6D6-9638065ED899 阿塔卡马的 chimbaensis，Heleobia peralensis sp. 的起源。十一月 由于不确定的关系，仍然不清楚。根据 IUCN 标准和 NatureServe 方法的保护状况评估表明，H. chimbaensis 和 Heleobia peralensis sp。十一月 面临灭绝的高风险。http://www.zoobank.org:pub:91770DA4-B16F-46AD-A6D6-9638065ED899 阿塔卡马的 chimbaensis，Heleobia peralensis sp. 的起源。十一月 由于不确定的关系，仍然不清楚。根据 IUCN 标准和 NatureServe 方法的保护状况评估表明，H. chimbaensis 和 Heleobia peralensis sp。十一月 面临灭绝的高风险。http://www.zoobank.org:pub:91770DA4-B16F-46AD-A6D6-9638065ED899