Notodiaphana fragilis explained

Notodiaphana fragilis is a species of marine snail, gastropod mollusk in the clade Architectibranchia.

Notodiaphana fragilis is the only species in the genus Notodiaphana. Genus Notodiaphana is the only genus in the family Notodiaphanidae.^[1]

It has been classified in the superfamily Diaphanoidea.

Shell description

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

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.

The shells resemble those of the genus Haminoea.

Distribution

The distribution of Notodiaphana fragilis includes the Indian Ocean.

Ecology

This species occur in the sublittoral to abyssal zones.

Further reading

• Bois-Reymond Marcus, E. D. (1976). "A taxonomic survey of the genus Toledonia Dall, 1902 (Opistobranchia, Diaphanidae)". Zoologica Scripta 5: 25-33

Notes and References

1. Malaquias M. A. E., Dodds J. M., Bouchet P. & Reid D. G. (2009). "A molecular phylogeny of the Cephalaspidea sensu lato (Gastropoda: Euthyneura): Architectibranchia redefined and Runcinacea reinstated". Zoologica Scripta 38(1): 23-41. .