Aforia Explained

Aforia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cochlespiridae.^[1]

Description

The shell resembles Irenosyrinx, but with stronger sculpture with narrow, low ribs and with a paucispiral, elongate operculum, bearing such a relation to the normal species of Turris as Mohnia bears to Chrysodomus. The nucleus is terminal. ^[2]

Gastropods of this genus are among the largest members of the family Cochlespiridae in the Pacific Ocean, with adult shell sizes reaching up to 92 mm.

Distribution

Species of this genus inhabit the Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the southeastern Indian Ocean; also in the cold waters off Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands and the South Shetlands. ^[3]

Habitat

These species are predominantly found in sublittoral and relatively deep waters. However, detailed descriptions of the specific composition of Aforia in bathyal and abyssal environments are sparse. There is limited information on the distribution of these species, and data on their anatomy are almost nonexistent. ^[4]

Species

Species within the genus Aforia include:

• Aforia abyssalis Sysoev & Kantor, 1987
• † Aforia canalomos (Stilwell & Zinsmeister, 1992)
• Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia crebristriata (Dall, 1908)
• Aforia goniodes (Watson, 1881)
• Aforia goodei (Dall, 1890)
• Aforia hedleyi (Dell, 1990)
• Aforia hypomela (Dall, 1889)
• Aforia indomaris Sysoev & Kantor, 1988
• Aforia inoperculata Sysoev & Kantor, 1988
• Aforia kincaidi (Dall, 1919)
• Aforia kupriyanovi Sysoev & Kantor, 1987
• Aforia magnifica (Strebel, 1908)
• Aforia moskalevi Sysoev & Kantor, 1987
• Aforia multispiralis Dell, 1990
• Aforia obesa Pastorino & Sánchez, 2016
• Aforia persimilis (Dall, 1890)
• Aforia serranoi Gofas, Kantor & Luque, 2014
• Aforia staminea (Watson, 1881)
• Aforia tasmanica Sysoev & Kantor, 1988
• Aforia trilix (Watson, 1881)
• Aforia watsoni Kantor, Harasewych & Puillandre, 2016 (interim unpublished)

Extinct species from the Oligocene in Northern America:

• † Aforia addicotti Javidpour, 1973
• † Aforia campbelli Durham 1944
• † Aforia dallamensis (Weaver, 1916)
• † Aforia ecuadoriana Olsson 1964 (Pliocene of Ecuador)
• † Aforia tricarinata Addicott, 1966
• † Aforia wardi (Tegland, 1933)

Species brought into synonymy:

• Aforia aulaca (Dall, 1896): synonym of Steiraxis aulaca (Dall, 1896)
• Aforia chosenensis Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia diomedea Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia gonoides (Watson, 1881 : synonym of Aforia goniodes (Watson, 1881)
• Aforia hondoana (Dall, 1925): synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia insignis (Jeffreys, 1883): synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia japonica Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia lepta (Watson, 1881): synonym of Aforia watsoni Kantor, Harasewych & Puillandre, 2016
• Aforia okhotskensis Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)
• Aforia sakhalinensis Bartsch, 1945: synonym of Aforia circinata (Dall, 1873)

References

• Bozzetti L. (1997) Description of a new genus and a new species (Gastropoda: Turridae, Turriculinae) from the Kerguelen Islands, southern Indian Ocean / Descrizione di un nuovo genere ed una nuova specie (Gastropoda: Turridae, Turriculinae) dalle Isole Kerguelen, Oceano Indiano meridionale. World Shells 23: 42–44
• Wiese V. (2001) Comments on a "new" turrid species from Kerguelen. Schriften zur Malakozoologie 18: 33–34

External links

• GOFAS, Serge, Yuri KANTOR, and Ángel A. LUQUE. "A new Aforia (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Cochlespiridae) from Galicia Bank (NW Iberian Peninsula)." (2014): 45–51.
• Sysoev & Kantor, Deep-sea gastropods of the genus Aforia (Turridae) of the Pacific: Species composition, Systematics, and functional morphology of the digerstive system; The Veliger, California Malacozoological Society Northern California Malacozoological Club v.30 (1987-1988)

Notes and References

1. P. Bouchet . Yu. I. Kantor . A. Sysoev . N. Puillandre . 2011 . A new operational classification of the Conoidea (Gastropoda) . . 77 . 3 . 273–308 . 10.1093/mollus/eyr017. free .
2. https://archive.org/details/mobot31753003646038 W.H. Dall (1908) Reports on the Mollusca and Brachiopoda, Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. vol. 43
3. https://www.gbif.org/species/2305265 Gbif.org: Aforia - distribution
4. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42468003 Sysoev, A. V.; Kantor, Y. I. (1987). Deep-sea gastropods of the genus Aforia (Turridae) of the Pacific: species composition, systematics, and functional morphology of the digestive system. Veliger. 30(2): 105-126.