Pleurotomella


Pleurotomella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Raphitomidae.

Description

As at present understood, this genus is intended to include those species which have a rather broad and very distinct subsutural band, crossed by excurved lines of growth corresponding to the form of the posterior sinus of the lip, which is situated a little below the suture and is always pretty well-developed, but is sometimes broad and shallow, and at other times narrower and very deep. The outer lip is always thin and sharp, without any appearance of a varix, nor is there any deposit of callus on the body whorl, in front of the aperture. The siphonal canal is well developed, generally constricted at the base and somewhat elongated, and usually but slightly curved. In a few of the species, doubtfully referred to hie genus, it is short and wide. The columella-margin is more or less sinuous. The protoconch differs in sculpture, and usually in color, from the rest of the whorls, and is generally minutely cancellated by fine raised lines running obliquely in opposite directions. The remaining whorls are elegantly sculptured by longitudinal ribs and revolving cinguli, and usually have a distinct shoulder or carina, which is frequently nodulous, below the subsutural band. The animal is destitute of an operculum, and, in all the species hitherto examined, is without eyes. The dentition consists of rather strong uncini, usually with a barbed tip and broad base.
The larval shell is multispiral. The adult shell shows a small blunt protoconch of several swollen whorls, closely arcuately axially ribbed. This protoconch is dark and sculptured with criss-cross lines, strongly contrasting with the rest of the shell. The succeeding short-fusiform whorls have an axial and spiral sculpture. The anal sulcus is close to the suture, deep and wide, with a distinct fasciole. The siphonal canal is very short, narrow, recurved. The outer lip is thin, simple and sharp. The columella is thin, gyrate, anteriorly obliquely truncate, almost pervious. The animal is blind and lacks an operculum

Species

Species within the genus Pleurotomella include:Pleurotomella aculeata Pleurotomella aculeola Pleurotomella allisoni Rehder & Ladd, 1973Pleurotomella amphiblestrum Pleurotomella amplecta Pleurotomella anceyi Pleurotomella annulata Thiele, 1912Pleurotomella anomalapex Powell, 1951

Synonyms

Pleurotomella abbreviata Schepman, 1913: synonym of Buccinaria abbreviata Pleurotomella abyssorum : synonym of Gymnobela abyssorum Pleurotomella adelpha Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1896: synonym of Phymorhynchus sulciferus Pleurotomella affinis Schepman, 1913: synonym of Cryptodaphne affinis Pleurotomella agassizi : synonym of Gymnobela agassizii Pleurotomella aguayoi : synonym of Austrotoma aguayoi Pleurotomella aperta Dall, 1927: synonym of Teretiopsis thaumastopsis Pleurotomella aquilarum engonia Verrill, 1884: synonym of Gymnobela engonia Verrill, 1884Pleurotomella araneosa : synonym of Xanthodaphne araneosa Pleurotomella argeta Dall, 1890: synonym of Xanthodaphne argeta Pleurotomella atlantica Locard, 1897: synonym of Kryptos koehleri Pleurotomella atypha Bush, 1893: synonym of Gymnobela atypha Pleurotomella bairdi : synonym of Gymnobela bairdii Pleurotomella bairdi Verrill & Smith, 1884: synonym of Gymnobela bairdii Pleurotomella bandella : synonym of Benthomangelia bandella Pleurotomella bathyiberica Fechter, 1976: synonym of Theta vayssierei Pleurotomella biconica Schepman, 1913: synonym of Acamptodaphne biconica Pleurotomella bruneri Verrill & S. Smith, 1884: synonym of Xanthodaphne bruneri Pleurotomella bullioides Sykes, 1906: synonym of Lusitanops bullioides Pleurotomella cancellata Sysoev, 1988: synonym of Fusobela cancellata Pleurotomella castanea Dall, 1896: synonym of Phymorhynchus castaneus Pleurotomella catasarca Dall, 1889: synonym of Theta chariessa Pleurotomella catharinae Verrill & S. Smith, 1884: synonym of Famelica catharinae Pleurotomella ceramensis Schepman, 1913: synonym of Gymnobela ceramensis Pleurotomella chariessa : synonym of Theta chariessa Pleurotomella clarinda Dall, 1908: synonym of Phymorhynchus clarinda Pleurotomella climacella Dall, 1895: synonym of Belomitra climacella