Omalogyridae

Last updated

Omalogyridae
Retrotortina damara (MNHN-IM-2000-22811).jpeg
Shell of Retrotortina damara
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Infraclass: Lower Heterobranchia
Superfamily: Omalogyroidea
Family: Omalogyridae
G.O. Sars, 1878
Genera

See text

Omalogyridae is a family of minute and microscopic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the informal group Lower Heterobranchia. [1] Omalogyrids are micromolluscs, among the smallest known, with adult shells usually smaller than 1 millimeter in diameter.

Contents

This family is poorly known and is tentatively placed in the unresolved infraclass "Lower Heterobranchia". Studies of this group are sketchy and miss or omit the basic information about taxonomy or distribution. [2] They are globally distributed in shallow marine environments, where they feed on algae. [3]

Description

Omalogyrids are among the smallest gastropods, with adult shells usually less than 1 millimeter in diameter. The omalogyrid Ammonicera minortalis is the smallest gastropod in the United States, with a shell 0.34–0.46 mm in diameter, [2] while Retrotortina fuscata is the smallest gastropod in Europe, with a shell 0.50–0.75 mm in diameter. [4] The shells of Ammonicera and Omalogyra are more or less planispiral, giving them an appearance similar to miniature ammonite shells, [2] while the shell of Retrotortina is hyperstrophic. [4] Ammonicera possess a pair of distinct tentacles, while in Retrotortina and Omalogyra the tentacles are replaced by a pair of flat, semicircular lobes. The eyes are at the bases of the tentacles or lobes. There is considerable variation in the anatomy of the radula in omalogyrids. [2] [5]

Genera

Genera within the family Omalogyridae include:

Genera brought into synonymy

References

  1. ↑ Gofas, S. (2012). Omalogyridae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1742 on 2012-08-31
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bieler, Rüdiger; Mikkelsen, Paula M. (1998). "Ammonicera in Florida: notes on the smallest living gastropod in the United States and comments on other species of Omalogyridae (Heterobranchia)". The Nautilus. 111 (1): 1–12.
  3. ↑ Sartori, André F.; Bieler, Rüdiger (2014-10-07). "Three new species of Ammonicera from the Eastern Pacific coast of North America, with redescriptions and comments on other species of Omalogyridae (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia)". Zootaxa. 3872 (1): 1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3872.1.1. eISSN   1175-5334. ISSN   1175-5326.
  4. 1 2 Gofas, Serge; Warén, Anders (1998). "Europe's smallest gastropod: habitat, distribution and relationships of Retrotortina fuscata (Omalogyridae)". Cahiers de Biologie Marine. 39: 9–14.
  5. ↑ Baeumler, Natalie; Haszprunar, Gerhard; Ruthensteiner, Bernhard (2008-07-25). "3D interactive microanatomy of Omalogyra atomus (Philippi, 1841) (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Omalogyridae)". Zoosymposia. 1: 101–118. eISSN   1178-9913. ISSN   1178-9905.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.