Atys (gastropod)


Atys is a genus of very small to medium-sized sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Haminoeidae.
All the species within the genus Atys are herbivores. They occur in tropical and warm oceans and seas. They are cephalaspideans, part of the suborder of headshield slugs and bubble snails.
The genus was named after Atys, a king of Alba Longa, who was mentioned in ancient Greek texts.

Description

The shell is concealed beneath the mantle of the animal. It is ovate or cylindrical in shape, generally white in color, and notably solid. The surface is transversely striated both above and below the middle section, while the spire remains entirely concealed. The columella is tortuous, and the outer lip is elevated above the spire at its end; additionally, the lip is more or less contracted above the middle of the shell.
These snails have a shell which is very lightweight and translucent, with a sunken spire. The shape of the shell in some species resembles a bubble, and because of this, species in this genus are commonly known as Atys bubble shells or Atys bubble snails.
The anatomy of the soft parts of most species within this genus has not been studied, but it seems that some of the species in this genus can not reliably be discriminated on the basis of shell characters alone. Unfortunately however, a considerable number of the species were originally named from empty shells, and as a result, their exact identity may be problematic.

Species

Species within the genus Atys include:Atys angustatus Smith, 1972

Synonyms

Atys alayoi Espinosa, Fernandez-Garcès & Ortea, 2004: synonym of Colinatys alayoi Atys bathymophila Dall, 1881: synonym of Sabatia bathymophila
  • † Atys brocchii Michelotti, 1847: synonym of † Cylichna brocchii
  • *Distribution : Mediterranean, TurkeyAtys canariensis E. A. Smith, 1872: synonym of Weinkauffia turgidula
  • Atys castus Carpenter, 1864 clean glassy-bubble: synonym of Aliculastrum exaratum
  • *Distribution : Baja California, Mexico
  • *Length : 10 mm
  • Atys chimera Baker & Hanna, 1927: synonym of Aliculastrum exaratum
  • *Distribution : Baja California, Mexico
  • *Length : 7 mm
  • Atys constrictus Habe, 1952: synonym of Limulatys constrictus Habe, 1952Atys cornuta Pilsbry, 1917: synonym of Limulatys debilis : synonym of Aliculastrum debile Atys costulosa Pease, 1869 : synonym of Atys costulosus Pease, 1869
  • Atys curta A. Adams, 1850 striate bubble: synonym of Liloa mongii Atys cylindrae : synonym of Aliculastrum cylindricum Atys cylindrella Nowell-Usticke, 1971: synonym of Atys riiseanus Mörch, 1875 Atys cylindricus : synonym of Aliculastrum cylindricum
  • Atys cylindricum : synonym of Aliculastrum cylindricum
  • Atys darnleyensis Brazier, 1879: synonym of Atys hyalinus R. B. Watson, 1883
  • Atys debilis Pease, 1871: synonym of Aliculastrum debile
  • *Distribution : Hawaii
  • *Length : 10 mm
  • *Description : on sandy bottoms where they burrow through the sand with their flattened headshield for food like small crustaceans.Atys densa Brazier, 1877: synonym of Atys densus Brazier, 1877
  • Atys dubiosa Brazier, 1879: synonym of Osorattis dubiosa Atys ferruginosa : synonym of Atys naucum
  • Atys flavovirens Melvill & Standen, 1903: synonym of Vellicolla flavovirens
  • Atys fukuokaensis Habe, 1852: synonym of Mimatys fukuokaensis Habe, 1952
  • *Distribution: Japan
  • Atys jeffreysi Weinkauff, 1868: synonym of Roxaniella jeffreysi
  • *Distribution : Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Mediterranean
  • Atys lithiensis Sturany, 1903: synonym of Roxania lithensis
  • Atys macandrewii E. A. Smith, 1872: synonym of Weinkauffia macandrewii
  • *Distribution : Caribbean, Brazil, Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde Islands
  • *Length : 7.3 mm
  • *Description : found at depths of up to 75 m
  • Atys multistriata Schepman, 1913: synonym of Roxaniella multistriata
  • *Distribution : Micronesia, Philippines
  • *Length : 12 mm
  • *Description : short headshield, broadened anteriorly, with internal black eyes. Short posterior lobes. Triangulate parapodia cover the anterior of the shell; short, rounded tail; The translucent Hancock’s organs appear as a thin low profile ridge. Translucent white animal with brown spots and clusters of opaque white dots; thin, elongate, ovoid shell; inner margin of the outer lip extends above the apex; slightly curved columella; deep umbilicus behind the fold
  • Atys muscaria Gould, 1859: synonym of Vellicolla muscaria
  • Atys okamotoi Habe, 1952: synonym of Vellicolla okamotoi
  • Atys palmarum Hedley, 1912: synonym of Micratys ovum Habe, 1952 Atys pittmani Too, Carlson, Hoff & Malaquias, 2014: synonym of Roxaniella pittmani Roxaniella pittmani
  • Atys porcellana Gould, 1859: synonym of Liloa porcellana
  • Atys pransa Hedley, 1904: synonym of Spissitydeus pransa
  • Atys pulchra Brazier, 1879: synonym of Mnestia pulchra
  • Atys reliqua Iredale, 1936: synonym of Weinkauffia reliqua
  • Atys scrobiculata A. Adams, 1862: synonym of Limulatys scrobiculatus Atys semistriata Pease, 1860: synonym of Atys semistriatus Pease, 1860
  • Atys supracancellata Schepman, 1913: synonym of Sabatia supracancellata Atys tortuosus A. Adams, 1850: synonym of Vellicolla tortuosa Atys tremens : synonym of Weinkauffia tremens Atys turgidula : synonym of Weinkauffia turgidula
  • † Atys turgidula : synonym of † Atys extumidus Pacaud, 2024 Atys ukulele Too, Carlson, Hoff & Malaquias, 2014: synonym of Weinkauffia ukulele Atys volvulina A. Adams, 1862: synonym of ''Aliculastrum volvulina''

Books

  • Redfern, Colin, 2001, Bahamian Seashells, a thousand species from Abaco, Bahamas, published by BahamianSeashells.com Inc