Medusafissurella

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Medusafissurella
Medusafissurella dubia 002.jpg
Medusafissurella dubia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Lepetellida
Superfamily: Fissurelloidea
Family: Fissurellidae
Subfamily: Fissurellinae
Genus: Medusafissurella
Mclean and Kilburn, 1986
Type species
Fissurella salebrosa, Reeve, 1850

Medusafissurella is a genus of minute deepwater keyhole limpets, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets. [1] [2]

Contents

Etymology

In Greek mythology Medusa was a Gorgon, a monster with snakes for hair. The radiating tentacles in Medusafissuralla recall the serpentine locks of this monster.

Description

Medusafissurella is closely associated with Amblychilepas and Dendrofissurella with which it shares radular and shell characters. But Medusafissurella has a smaller body than the species in Amblychilepas , the genus to which it was previously assigned.

The body of species in Medusafissurella is larger than the shell. The anterior part of the shell is raised but is markedly narrowed. This character distinguishes Medusafissurella from most species in the genus Fissurella . The edge of the anterior shell is thinner and sharper than in the rest of the shell. The posterior end of the shell is not raised at all or only slightly raised. The opening at the apex (foramen) has an oval shape. The sculpture of the shell shows strong, scabrous ribs (= transverse folds) giving the impression of a rough surface with minute ribs. This character sets Medusafissurella apart from Amblychilepas and Dendrofissurella

The posterior portion of the foot is covered by the shell. The mantle folds only slightly envelop the edge of the shell. The foot also shows elaborate propodial processes at the propodium (front part of the foot) with numerous subequal (= nearly equal) radiating tentacles, that are sometimes branched, while in Dendrofissurella the tentacles have a single, main branching structure. The function of these tentacles is not well understood. They may serve to trap or hold food, but then they would be better attached to the snout above them instead of being attached to the propodium. The large outer lateral tooth of the radula is quadricuspid ( = with four cusps). The eyes are situated at the base of the cephalic tentacles.

Species

Species brought into synonymy

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fissurellidae</span> Family of limpet-like sea snails

Fissurellidae, common name the keyhole limpets and slit limpets, is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized limpet-like sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Vetigastropoda.

<i>Diodora cayenensis</i> Species of gastropod

Diodora cayenensis, the Cayenne keyhole limpet, is a species of small to medium-sized sea snail or limpet, a western Atlantic marine prosobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Hemitoma</i> Genus of gastropods

Hemitoma is a genus of slit limpets, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<i>Fissurella</i> Genus of gastropods

Fissurella is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails or limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Fissurellinae of the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Medusafissurella dubia</i> Species of gastropod

Medusafissurella dubia is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Amblychilepas nigrita</i> Species of gastropod

Amblychilepas nigrita, common name the black keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Amblychilepas platyactis</i> Species of gastropod

Amblychilepas platyactis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Emarginula crassa</i> Species of gastropod

Emarginula crassa, the thick slit limpet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Emarginula fissura</i> Species of gastropod

Emarginula fissura, the common slit limpet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Amblychilepas</i> Genus of gastropods

Amblychilepas is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

<i>Dendrofissurella scutellum</i> Species of mollusc

Dendrofissurella is a monotypic genus of minute deepwater keyhole limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emarginulinae</span> Subfamily of limpet-like sea snails

The subfamily Emarginulinae, common name keyhole limpets and slit limpets, is a taxonomic subfamily of limpet-like sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fissurellinae</span> Subfamily of gastropods

The subfamily Fissurellinae, common name the keyhole limpets and slit limpets, is a taxonomic subfamily of limpet-like sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae.

Zeidora calceolina is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<i>Zeidora reticulata</i> Species of gastropod

Zeidora reticulata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<i>Fissurella punctata</i> Species of gastropod

Fissurella punctata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<i>Medusafissurella chemnitzii</i> Species of gastropod

Medusafissurella chemnitzii is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

Medusafissurella salebrosa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.

<i>Diodora ruppellii</i> Species of gastropod

Diodora rueppellii, common name the Rüppell's keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

References

  1. ↑ McLean, James H.; R.N. Kilburn (September 1986). "Propodial elaboration in Southern African and Indian Ocean Fissurellidae (Mollusca, Prosobranchia) with description of two new genera and one new species" (PDF). Contributions in Science. 379: 1–12. doi:10.5962/p.208123. S2CID   135095660 . Retrieved 2010-07-19.
  2. ↑ Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2012). Medusafissurella McLean & Kilburn, 1986. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=536032 on 2013-01-17
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