| Belonimorphis belonimorphis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda informal group Ptenoglossa |
| Superfamily: | Triphoroidea |
| Family: | Cerithiopsidae |
| Genus: | Belonimorphis |
| Species: | B. belonimorphis |
| Binomial name | |
| Belonimorphis belonimorphis Jay & Drivas, 2002 | |
Belonimorphis belonimorphis is a species of very small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cerithiopsidae. The species was described by Jay and Drivas in 2002. [1] [2] It is the sole species within the genus Belonimorphis.
In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.
Sea snail is a common name for snails that normally live in salt water, in other words marine gastropods. The taxonomic class Gastropoda also includes snails that live in other habitats, such as land snails and freshwater snails. Many species of sea snails are edible and exploited as food sources by humans.
Cerithiopsidae are a family of very small and minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs or micromollusks in the informal group Ptenoglossa. Gastropods in this family are known as cerithiopsids.