Diaphanidae Explained

Diaphanidae is a taxonomic family of small sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs or micromollusks in the superfamily Diaphanoidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.

The little-known species in this family have small, flimsy, almost globular shells, known as paper bubble gastropod shells.

Distribution

Species in this family are found in cold seas, such as the Arctic region, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand.

Habitat

The species occur in the sublittoral to abyssal zones.

Shell description

The shell is minute, thin, fragile, colorless to translucent, and usually less than 5 mm in size. The overall shape is ovate, pear-shaped, and bulbous. There is a sunken apex.

Genera

Genera within the family Diaphanidae include:

Subfamily Diaphaninae

Genus Austrodiaphana Pilsbry, 1893
- Austrodiaphan brazieri Angas, 1877
  - Distribution : Western Australia
  - Length : 8 mm
- Austrodiaphana colei Fleming, 1948
  - Distribution : New Zealand
- Austrodiaphana flemingi Powell, 1952
  - Distribution : New Zealand
- Austrodiaphana maunganuica Powell, 1952
  - Distribution : New Zealand
Genus Colobocephalus Sars M., 1870
- Colobocephalus costellatus, Sars M., 1870
- Colobocephalus striatulus Monterosato ex Jeffreys, 1874
  - Distribution : Mediterranean
Genus Colpodaspis M. Sars, 1870 (incertae sedis) The sole of the foot contains a gland that secretes a mucous fluid, which helps the little animal to stay attached to stems and algae.
- Colpodaspis punctata Clark, 1837
  - Distribution : Mediterranean
- Colpodaspis pusilla Sars, 1870
  - Distribution : Southern Norway, Great Britain, western Ireland
  - Length : 5 mm
  - Description : the bubble shell is completely enclosed by the mantle; two prominent rhinophores on the head, leading to a groove along each side of the head; right posterior siphon
- Colpodaspis thompsoni Brown, 1979
  - Distribution : tropical Indo-Pacific, Okinawa, Christmas Island
  - Length : 3 mm
  - Description : black sea slug with yellow warts on a white background; the mantle encloses the bubble-shaped fragile shell; there is a pair of enrolled rhinophores on the head; the eyes are the two black spots on the head, just in front of the shell;
Genus Diaphana Brown, 1827
- Diaphana abyssalis T. Schiøtte, 1998
  - Distribution : Western Atlantic
- Diaphana anderssoni H. Strebel, 1908
  - Distribution : South Georgia
- Diaphana caribaea Espinosa, J., J.Ortea & J.Magaña, 2001
  - Distribution : Cuba
  - Length : 2 mm
- Diaphana cretica
  - Distribution : Mediterranean
- Diaphana expansa (Jeffreys, 1864)
  - Distribution : Norway to the Scilly Isles.
- Diaphana floridana Dall, 1927
  - Distribution : Georgia
  - Length : 4 mm
- Diaphana globosa Lovén, 1846
  - Distribution : Scandinavia
  - Length : 4 mm
- Diaphana haini Linse, K. & T. Schiøtte, 2002
  - Distribution : Antarctica
  - Length : 2.2 mm
- Diaphana hiemalis (Couthouy, J.P., 1839) (synonym of Diaphana minuta)
- Diaphana inflata (Strebel, H., 1908)
  - Distribution : South Georgia
  - Length : 2.4 mm
- Diaphana lactea Jeffreys, 1877
  - Distribution : Mediterranean, Norway
- Diaphana lottae K.J. Bush, 1893
  - Distribution : North Carolina
  - Length : 8.5 mm
- Diaphana makarovi G.B. Gorbunov, 1946
  - Distribution : East Greenland
  - Length : 3 mm
- Diaphana mauretaniensis T. Schiøtte, 1998
  - Distribution : Mauretania
- Diaphana minuta Brown, 1827
  - Distribution : Greenland, Scandinavia, Iceland, Scotland, North Spain down to the Canaries and the Mediterranean, Massachusetts.
  - Length: 5.8 mm
  - Description : found in sandy bottoms from the low tide level to a depth of 350 m; thin, fragile, smooth, cylindrical shell with convex whorls. The body whorl is prominent. Minute apex. Deep suture between the whorls. Deep umbilicus.
- Diaphana pacifica T. Schiøtte, 1998
  - Distribution : Southern California
- Diaphana paessleri H. Strebel, 1905
  - Distribution : Falklands; Tierra del Fuego; South Georgia; South Orkneys; Weddell Sea, Antarctica; Kerguelen.
  - Length : 3.3 mm
- Diaphana pfefferi H. Strebel, 1905
  - Distribution : South Georgia
  - Length : 2.9 mm
- Diaphana quadrata
  - Distribution : Mediterranean
- Diaphana seguenzae R.B. Watson, 1886
  - Distribution : NE Brazil
  - Length : 3.8 mm
Genus Newnesia E. A. Smith, 1902 (incertae sedis)
- Newnesia antarctica E. A. Smith, 1902
  - Distribution : Weddell Sea (Antarctica)
  - Length : 17–30 mm
- Newnesia sphinx Strebel H., 1908
  - Distribution : Paulet Insel (Antarctic Peninsula)
  - Length : 24.8 mm
Genus Rhinodiaphana Lemche, 1967
- Rhinodiaphana ventricosa Jeffreys, 1865
Genus Woodbridgea Berry, 1953
- Woodbridgea polystrigma Dall, 1908 (furrowed paper-bubble^[1])
  - Distribution : America
- Woodbridgea williamsi S.S. Berry, 1953^[2]
  - Distribution : West-America

Subfamily Toledoniinae

Bogasonia Warén, 1989
- Bogasonia gorjachevi Chaban, 1998 - Distribution: Kurile Islands.
- Bogasonia volutoides Warén, 1989 - Distribution: Iceland. Found at depths between 100 and 200 m.
Toledonia Dall, 1902

External links

- Bois-Reymond Marcus, E. D. (1976): A taxonomic survey of the genus Toledonia Dall, 1902 (Opistobranchia, Diaphanidae). Zool. Scripta 5: 25-33
Photo of Colpodaspis thompsoni

Notes and References

Web site: ITIS - Report: Woodbridgea polystrigma.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/28518#page/431/mode/1up Berry, Samuel Stillman. "Notices of new west American marine Mollusca." San Diego Society of Natural History, vol. 11, 1953