Latiromitra cryptodon

Latiromitra cryptodon
Shell of Latiromitra cryptodon (syntype at MNHN, Paris)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Costellariidae
Genus:	Latiromitra
Species:	L. cryptodon
Binomial name
Latiromitra cryptodon (P. Fischer, 1882) [1]
Synonyms [2]
Cyomesus chaunax (Bayer, 1971) Latiromitra specialisLocard, 1897 Mitra cryptodonP. Fischer, 1882 Teramachia chaunaxBayer, 1971

Latiromitra cryptodon is a deep-water marine gastropod in the family Constellariidae, orgionally described as Mirtra cryptodon by P. Fischer in 1883 and later assigned its current genus placement; additional synonyms recognized by the World Register of Marine Species include Latiromitra specialis Locard, 1897 and Teramachia chaunax Bayer, 1971(WoRMS Editorial Board 2024). This species inhabits tropical deep-sea environments and is found at substantial ocean depths typical of many neogastropods. Its classification within Caenogastropoda, Neogastropoda, and the superfamily Turbinelloidea is supported by taxonomic data curated by WoRMS.

They are non-broadcast spawner, and its lifecycle lacks a trochophore larval stage, a developmental pattern consistent with many deep-sea caenogastropods (SeaLifeBase 2024b). Its demersal lifestyle and deep distribution correspond with ecological traits observed in other deep-water neogastropods.

Description

Latiromitra cryptodon reaches a maximum recorded shell length of approximately 5.5 cm (SeaLifeBase 2024a). Like other members of its genus, it possesses a high-spired shell typical of deep-sea neogastropods. Further detailed morphological descriptions are available in specialized systematic literature, but large-scale biodiversity databases currently report shell size as the primary measurement for this species.

Distribution

Latiromitra cryptodon is a demersal species occurring across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Its known latitudinal range spans approximately 24° N to 19° S, and inhabit deep waters at depths of roughly 1,200 - 1,500 meters. This broader distribution indicates that the species is not limited to the waters off Morocco, as earlier accounts suggested, but instead occupies multiple tropical Atlantic regions consistent with deep-sea gastropod biodiversity patterns.

References

1. Fischer P. (1882-1883). Diagnoses d'espèces nouvelles de mollusques recueillis dans le cours des expéditions scientifiques de l'aviso "Le Travailleur" (1880 et 1881). Journal de Conchyliologie 30: 49-53 [1882, 273-277 [issued March 22, 1883 according to Fischer-Piette (1937), April 1883 according to Winckworth, 1936]]. World Register of Marine Species, Retrieved 29 April 2010.
2. Latiromitra cryptodon (P. Fischer, 1882). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species  on 29 April 2010.

• MEDIN. (2011). UK checklist of marine species derived from the applications Marine Recorder and UNICORN. version 1.0
• MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Colus azygosorius Tiba, 1980. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=490915
• Rosenberg, G. 2009 Malacolog 4.1.1: A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca. [WWW database (version 4.1.1)] URL http://www.malacolog.org/.
• Sysoev A.V. (2014). Deep-sea fauna of European seas: An annotated species check-list of benthic invertebrates living deeper than 2000 m in the seas bordering Europe. Gastropoda. Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.11. No.1: 134–155

External links

• Fischer P. (1882-1883). Diagnoses d'espèces nouvelles de mollusques recueillis dans le cours des expéditions scientifiques de l'aviso "Le Travailleur" (1880 et 1881). Journal de Conchyliologie 30: 49-53 [1882], 273-277
• Locard, A. (1897-1898). Expéditions scientifiques du Travailleur et du Talisman pendant les années 1880, 1881, 1882 et 1883. Mollusques testacés. Paris, Masson.
• Bayer, F. M. (1971). New and unusual Mollusks collected by R/V John Elliott Pillsbury and R/V Gerda in the tropical Western Atlantic. Bulletin of Marine Science. 21(1): 111-236
• Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213.
• Bouchet P. & Kantor Y. (2000). The anatomy and systematics of Latiromitra, a genus of tropical deep-water Ptychatractinae (Gastropoda: Turbinellidae). The Veliger 43(1): 1-23