Neolepetopsidae Explained

Neolepetopsidae is a family of small deep sea sea snails or true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the subclass Patellogastropoda (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

This family has no subfamilies.

Etymology

The name of the family Neolepetopsidae is composed of the prefix neo, which means "new", and the word Lepetopsidae, which is the name of an extinct family of true limpets, from which the species within Neolepetopsidae probably evolved.

Taxonomy

Two Neolepetosidae species Eulepetopsis vitrea and Paralepetopsis floridensis were genetically analyzed by Harasewych & McArthur (2000),^[1] who confirmed placement of Neolepetopsidae within Acmaeoidea/Lottioidea based on analysis of partial 18S rDNA.^[1]

Neolepetopsidae belongs to superfamily Neolepetopsoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

Neolepetopsoidea was synonymized with Lottioidea so Neolepetopsidae was moved to superfamily Lottioidea in World Register of Marine Species.^[2]

Distribution

The distribution of the Neolepetopsidae includes the Northeastern Pacific, the western Pacific (Paralepetopsis rosemariae) and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Habitat

These limpets live in the deep sea. Their habitat includes hydrothermal vents, whalebone (baleen) and whale-fall habitats.^[3]

Genera

There are currently known 3 genera and altogether 12 species in Neolepetopsidae:^[3]

• Neolepetopsis McLean, 1990 - type genus
  • Neolepetopsis gordensis McLean, 1990 - type species
  • Neolepetopsis densata McLean, 1990
  • Neolepetopsis nicolasensis McLean, 2008^[3] - from whalebone
  • Neolepetopsis verruca McLean, 1990
  • Neolepetopsis occulta McLean, 1990
• Eulepetopsis McLean, 1990 - monotypic genus
  • Eulepetopsis vitrea McLean, 1990
• Paralepetopsis McLean, 1990
  • Paralepetopsis floridensis McLean 1990 - type species
  • Paralepetopsis clementensis McLean, 2008^[3] - from whalebone
  • Paralepetopsis ferrugivora Warén & Bouchet, 2001^[4]
  • Paralepetopsis lepichoni Warén & Bouchet, 2001^[4] - from Nankai Trench
  • Paralepetopsis rosemariae Beck, 1996^[5]
  • Paralepetopsis sasakii Warén & Bouchet, 2009^[6]
  • Paralepetopsis tunnicliffae McLean, 2008^[3] - from hydrothermal vent

Further reading

• Sasaki T. & Warén A. (2007). "Anatomy of Eulepetopsis vitrea McLean, 1990 (Patellogastropoda: Neolepetopsidae)". In: Jordaens, K., N. Van Houtte, J. Van Geothem, & T. Backeljau, editors. Abstracts, World congress of malacology. Antwerp, Belgium. July 15–20, 2007195.

Notes and References

1. Harasewych M. G. & McArthur A. G. (2000). "A Molecular Phylogeny of the Patellogastropoda (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Eogastropoda)". Marine Biology 137(2): 183-194. http://hdl.handle.net/10088/4613
2. Gofas, S. (2010). Patellogastropoda. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=382158 on 2010-04-01
3. McLean J. H. (2008). "Three New Species of the Family Neolepetopsidae (Patellogastropoda) from Hydrothermal Vents and Whale Falls in the Northeastern Pacific". Journal of Shellfish Research 27(1): 15-20. . abstract.
4. Warén A. & Bouchet P. (2001). "Gastropoda and Monoplacophora from hydrothermal vents and seeps new taxa and records". The Veliger 44(2): 116-227.
5. Beck L. (1996). "Morphology and anatomy of new species of neolepetopsid, acmaeid, fissurellid and pyropeltid limpets from Edison Seamount off Lihir Islands (West Pacific)". Archiv für Molluskenkunde 125: 87-103.
6. Warén A. & Bouchet P. (2009). "New gastropods from deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps off West Africa". Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 56(23): 2326-2349.