Gigantopelta aegis explained

Gigantopelta aegis is a species of deep sea snail from hydrothermal vents, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Peltospiridae.

Taxonomy

It was described as a new species within new genus Gigantopelta in 2015 and it was classified within the family Peltospiridae.

Distribution

This species is known from its type locality only: Longqi hydrothermal vent field in Southwest Indian Ridge, .

Description

The width of the shell is 4.84–44.83 mm. Valeues of δ¹³C were −26.42‰ ± 0.67.^[1] A distinguishing factor of the Gigantopelta aegis is their large size, hence the name, which translates to “gigantic shield” in Latin.^[2] While other peltospirids reach shell diameter sizes of 15mm on average, the Gigantopelta aegis can grow up to 45.7 mm. The shell is also thickly coated with a layer of sulphide. However, this is typical of other vent-dwelling gastropods. Another distinguishing factor for the Gigantopelta species is that sexual dimorphism is not exhibited, as seen in other peltopsirids.

Notes and References

1. 10.1038/srep39158. 27966649. 5155287. 2045-2322. 6. 39158. Copley. J. T.. Marsh. L.. Glover. A. G.. Hühnerbach. V.. Nye. V. E.. Reid. W. D. K.. Sweeting. C. J.. Wigham. B. D.. Wiklund. H.. Ecology and biogeography of megafauna and macrofauna at the first known deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. Scientific Reports. 2016.
2. Chen . Chong . Linse . Katrin . Roterman . Christopher N. . Copley . Jonathan T. . Rogers . Alex D. . October 2015 . A new genus of large hydrothermal vent-endemic gastropod (Neomphalina: Peltospiridae): A New Genus of Vent-Endemic Gastropod . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . en . 175 . 2 . 319–335 . 10.1111/zoj.12279. free .