Spilaio Agion Anargyron

Higher Geography
Region: Peloponnisos,
Sub-Region: Messinia,
Municipality: Kalamata,
Closest Settlement: Poliani
Cave type
Natural Modified
Description / Comments

A cave chapel situated 12 km southwest of Dirrachi in Goupata Rachi, north of Kalamata (Reischütz & Reischütz 2003). From the site location description, we assume that it's the cave of Agioi Anargyroi. The cave is about 20 meters long. The front part is concreted and used as a chapel. The last five meters are still more or less natural. Together with the Tsoukatosia christinae n.sp.  Reischütz & Reischütz (2003) also found representatives of the genera Lindbergia, Oxychilus, and Pagodulina.

Fauna
  • Lindbergia sp., Reischütz & Reischütz 2003, Karakasi et al. 2024
    Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Pristilomatidae
  • Oxychilus sp., Reischütz & Reischütz 2003, Karakasi et al. 2024
    Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Oxychilidae
  • Tsoukatosia christinae A. Reischütz & P.L. Reischütz, 2003, Reischütz & Reischütz 2003, Reischütz et al. 2016, Karakasi et al. 2024
    Phylum: Mollusca / Class: Gastropoda / Order: Stylommatophora / Family: Clausiliidae
Species references
  • Karakasi D, Paragamian K, Mylonas M, Vardinoyannis K 2024. What`s crawling in the dark? An annotated list of gastropods in Greek caves.. Subterranean Biology 48: 73-116. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.48.113383
  • Reischütz A, Reischütz PL. 2003. Reischütz A, Reischütz PL. 2003. Hellenikä pantoia, 3: Die Schönste von allen. Tsoukatosia (Agiosspeleikos) christinae nov . subgen., nov. spec. (Clausiliidae: Pulmonata: Gastropoda). Nachrbl. dtsch. malakol. Ges. 11:1–3
  • Reischütz, A., Reischütz, V. P. L. & Szekeres, M. 2016. The Clausiliidae subfamily Phaedusinae (Gastropoda, Pulmonata) in the Balkans. Nachrichtenblatt der Ersten Vorarlberger Malakologischen Gesellschaft, 23: 93-117.
Citation
Paragamian, K. 2026. Fauna of the cave Spilaio Agion Anargyron, Poliani, Kalamata, Peloponnisos. In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Cave data updated 24.06.2023, Accessed 07.07.2026