Aesopus (gastropod)
Aesopus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The animal is white with a sole that is emarginate anteriorly and obtuse posteriorly, featuring a flabelliform horny cover. It has a small head with external medial eyes and a wide, very short siphon.The shell is fusiform and humpbacked, with a widely truncated anterior. The lunate aperture has its posterior corner filled with callus. The columella is simple and vitreous, while the suture near the aperture is abnormally arched.
The backward angle and downward curvature of the body whorl are quite peculiar. The form and appearance of the shell, along with the structure of the animal, suggest that it occupies an intermediate position between the genera Mitra and Columbella.
Species
Species within the genus Aesopus include:Aesopus algoensis Aesopus aliciae Marincovich, 1973Aesopus australis Aesopus benitoensis de Maintenon, 2019Aesopus cassandra Aesopus chrysalloideus Aesopus clausiliformis Aesopus cumingii- † Aesopus eniwetokensis Aesopus eurytoides Aesopus foucheae Lussi, 2017Aesopus fredbakeri Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932Aesopus fuscostrigatus Aesopus geraldsmithi Lussi M., 2001Aesopus goforthi Dall, 1912 Aesopus gracilis Faber, 2004Aesopus guyanensis Pelorce, 2017Aesopus jaffaensis Aesopus japonicus Gould, 1860Aesopus meta Aesopus multistriatus Aesopus myrmecoon Dall, 1916Aesopus obesus Aesopus pallidulus Aesopus plurisulcatus Reeve, 1859Aesopus rotundus Drivas & Jay, 1990Aesopus sanctus Dall, 1919Aesopus solidus Aesopus stearnsii Aesopus urania Melvill & Standen, 1901Aesopus veneris
- † Aesopus crebricostatus Tenison Woods, 1879: synonym of Anachis crebricostata represented as † Anachis crebricostata Aesopus eurytoideus : synonym of Aesopus eurytoides Aesopus filosus Angas, 1867: synonym of Aesopus plurisulcatus Reeve, 1859Aesopus hilium Hedley, 1908: synonym of Austropusilla hilum
- † Aesopus idae Bartsch, 1918: synonym of Aesopus chrysalloideus Aesopus metcalfei : synonym of Aesopus obesus Aesopus metella : synonym of Decipifus metellus Aesopus osborni Hertlein & Strong, 1951: synonym of Exaesopus osborni
- † Aesopus semicostatus Tenison Woods, 1879: synonym of † Retizafra semicostata Aesopus spiculus : synonym of Aesopus clausiliformis Aesopus subturritus : synonym of Exaesopus subturritus Aesopus xenicus Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932: synonym of ''Glyptaesopus xenicus''