Maoritomella

Genus of gastropods From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maoritomella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Borsoniidae.[1]

Quick facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Maoritomella
Three views of a shell of Maoritomella batjanensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Borsoniidae
Genus: Maoritomella
Powell, 1942
Type species
Pleurotoma albula
Hutton, 1873
Synonyms[1]

Narraweena Laseron, 1954

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Description

Shells of Maoritomella are tall-spired and have a truncated body-whorl,[2] with a paucispiral protoconch, a globular of two smooth whorls, that is followed by a half whorl of brephic axials.[3] The small shell seldom exceeds 10 mm (0.39 in) and has usually a fusiform-biconical shape. The axial riblets in the bluntly domed protoconch are absent or restricted to the terminal half-whorl. The sculpture consists of strong spiral lirae or cords with fine collabral threads crossing spiral lirae. It often contains a peripheral keel but never a conspicuous shoulder angle. The siphonal canal is not or feebly indented. There is an anal sinus on the shoulder slope. An operculum is present. The marginal teeth of the radula are rather short, straight and awl-like[4]

Taxonomy

The genus was first described by A. W. B. Powell in 1942, due to the difficulty of placing Pleurotoma albula (now Maoritomella albula) in an appropriate genus.[5]

Distribution

Species

Species within the genus Maoritomella include:[1]

Species brought into synonymy
  • Maoritomella annosa A. W. B. Powell, 1942: synonym of Drilliola annosa (A. W. B. Powell, 1942)
  • Maoritomella batjanensis (Schepman, 1913): synonym of Otitoma batjanensis (Schepman, 1913)
  • Maoritomella pukeuriensis A. W. B. Powell, 1942: synonym of Drilliola pukeuriensis (A. W. B. Powell, 1942)
  • Maoritomella sola A. W. B. Powell, 1942: synonym of Drilliola sola (A. W. B. Powell, 1942)
  • Maoritomella thola Laseron, 1954: synonym of Tomopleura thola (Laseron, 1954)

References

Further reading

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