Diaphanidae
Encyclopedia
Diaphanidae is a taxonomic family
of small sea snail
s, marine
opisthobranch gastropod molluscs or micromollusk
s 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 shell
s.
region, Antarctica, Australia
, and New Zealand
.
.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of small sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....
s, marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
opisthobranch gastropod molluscs or micromollusk
Micromollusk
A micromollusk is a descriptive term for a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also reach adult size at very small...
s in the superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Diaphanoidea
Diaphanoidea
Diaphanoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of small sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails....
, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
The little-known species in this family have small, flimsy, almost globular shells, known as paper bubble gastropod shell
Gastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
s.
Distribution
Species in this family are found in cold seas, such as the ArcticArctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
region, Antarctica, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
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 apexApex (mollusc)
Apex is an anatomical term for the tip of the mollusc shell of a gastropod, scaphopod, or cephalopod mollusc.-Gastropods:The word "apex" is most often used to mean the tip of the spire of the shell of a gastropod...
.
Subfamily Diaphaninae
- Genus Austrodiaphana PilsbryHenry Augustus PilsbryHenry Augustus Pilsbry was an American biologist, malacologist and carcinologist, among other areas of study. He was a dominant presence in many fields of invertebrate taxonomy for the better part of a century...
, 1893- Austrodiaphan brazieri AngasGeorge French AngasGeorge French Angas , was an English explorer, naturalist and painter.He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the eldest son of George Fife Angas, prominent in the establishment of the new colony of South Australia. Despite showing remarkable talent in drawing, he was placed in a London...
, 1877- Distribution : West Australia
- Length : 8 mm
- Austrodiaphana colei Fleming, 1948
- Distribution : New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- Distribution : New Zealand
- Austrodiaphana flemingi PowellArthur William Baden PowellDr Arthur William Baden Powell CBE was a New Zealand malacologist, naturalist and palaeontologist, a major influence in the study and classification of New Zealand molluscs through much of the twentieth century. He was known to his friends and family by his third name, "Baden".Powell was born at...
, 1952- Distribution : New Zealand
- Austrodiaphana maunganuica PowellArthur William Baden PowellDr Arthur William Baden Powell CBE was a New Zealand malacologist, naturalist and palaeontologist, a major influence in the study and classification of New Zealand molluscs through much of the twentieth century. He was known to his friends and family by his third name, "Baden".Powell was born at...
, 1952- Distribution : New Zealand
- Austrodiaphan brazieri Angas
- Genus Colobocephalus Sars M.Michael SarsMichael Sars was a Norwegian theologian and biologist.-Biography:Sars was born in Bergen, Norway. He studied natural history and theology at Royal Frederick University from 1823 and completed a cand.theol. degree in 1828. For several years he taught at a number of different schools, firstly in...
, 1870- Colobocephalus costellatus, Sars M.Michael SarsMichael Sars was a Norwegian theologian and biologist.-Biography:Sars was born in Bergen, Norway. He studied natural history and theology at Royal Frederick University from 1823 and completed a cand.theol. degree in 1828. For several years he taught at a number of different schools, firstly in...
, 1870 - Colobocephalus striatulus Monterosato ex Jeffreys, 1874
- Distribution : Mediterranean
- Colobocephalus costellatus, Sars M.
- Genus Colpodaspis M. SarsMichael SarsMichael Sars was a Norwegian theologian and biologist.-Biography:Sars was born in Bergen, Norway. He studied natural history and theology at Royal Frederick University from 1823 and completed a cand.theol. degree in 1828. For several years he taught at a number of different schools, firstly in...
, 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 SarsMichael SarsMichael Sars was a Norwegian theologian and biologist.-Biography:Sars was born in Bergen, Norway. He studied natural history and theology at Royal Frederick University from 1823 and completed a cand.theol. degree in 1828. For several years he taught at a number of different schools, firstly in...
, 1870- Distribution : Southern NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, western IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... - 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
- Distribution : Southern Norway
- Colpodaspis thompsoni Brown, 1979
- Distribution : tropical Indo-PacificIndo-PacificThe Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
, Okinawa, Christmas IslandChristmas IslandThe Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands.... - Length : 3 mm
- Description : black sea slug with yellow warts on a white background; the mantleMantle (mollusc)The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
encloses the bubble-shaped fragile shell; there is a pair of enrolled rhinophoreRhinophoreA rhinophore is one of a pair of club-shaped structures which are the most prominent part of the external head anatomy of a group of sea slugs, marine gastropod opisthobranch mollusks in the order Nudibranchia, the nudibranchs, specifically the dorid nudibranchs.- Etymology :The name relates to the...
s on the head; the eyes are the two black spots on the head, just in front of the shell;
- Distribution : tropical Indo-Pacific
- Colpodaspis punctata Clark, 1837
- 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 : CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
- Length : 2 mm
- Distribution : Cuba
- 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 : ScandinaviaScandinaviaScandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
- Length : 4 mm
- Distribution : Scandinavia
- 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 CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
- Length : 8.5 mm
- Distribution : North Carolina
- Diaphana makarovi G.B. Gorbunov, 1946
- Distribution : East Greenland
- Length : 3 mm
- Diaphana mauretaniensis T. Schiøtte, 1998
- Distribution : MauretaniaMauretaniaMauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
- Distribution : Mauretania
- Diaphana minuta Brown, 1827
- Distribution : Greenland, Scandinavia, Iceland, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, North SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
down to the Canaries and the Mediterranean, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. - 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 whorlWhorl (mollusc)A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
s. The body whorlBody whorlBody whorl is part of the morphology of a coiled gastropod mollusk.- In gastropods :In gastropods, the body whorl, or last whorl, is the most recently-formed and largest whorl of a spiral or helical shell, terminating in the aperture...
is prominent. Minute apex. Deep suture between the whorls. Deep umbilicusUmbilicus (mollusk)The umbilicus of a shell is the axially aligned, hollow cone-shaped space within the whorls of a coiled mollusc shell. The term umbilicus is often used in descriptions of gastropod shells, i.e...
.
- Distribution : Greenland, Scandinavia, Iceland, Scotland
- Diaphana pacifica T. Schiøtte, 1998
- Distribution : Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
- Distribution : Southern California
- Diaphana paessleri H. Strebel, 1905
- Distribution : Falklands; Tierra del FuegoTierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
; South Georgia; South Orkneys; Weddell SeaWeddell SeaThe Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha Coast, Queen Maud Land. To the east of Cape Norvegia is...
, Antarctica; Kerguelen. - Length : 3.3 mm
- Distribution : Falklands; Tierra del Fuego
- Diaphana pfefferi H. Strebel, 1905
- Distribution : South Georgia
- Length : 2.9 mm
- Diaphana quadrata
- Distribution : Mmediterranean
- Diaphana seguenzae R.B. Watson, 1886
- Distribution : NE BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- Length : 3.8 mm
- Distribution : NE Brazil
- Diaphana abyssalis T. Schiøtte, 1998
- Genus Newnesia E. A. SmithEdgar Albert SmithEdgar Albert Smith was a British zoologist, a malacologist.His father was the Frederick Smith, a well-known entomologist, and Assistant Keeper of Zoology in the British Museum, Bloomsbury...
, 1902 (incertae sedis)- Newnesia antarctica E. A. SmithEdgar Albert SmithEdgar Albert Smith was a British zoologist, a malacologist.His father was the Frederick Smith, a well-known entomologist, and Assistant Keeper of Zoology in the British Museum, Bloomsbury...
, 1902- Distribution : Weddell SeaWeddell SeaThe Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha Coast, Queen Maud Land. To the east of Cape Norvegia is...
(Antarctica) - Length : 17-30 mm
- Distribution : Weddell Sea
- Newnesia sphinx Strebel H., 1908
- Distribution : Paulet Insel (Antarctic Peninsula)
- Length : 24.8 mm
- Newnesia antarctica E. A. Smith
- Genus Rhinodiaphana Lemche, 1967
- Rhinodiaphana ventricosa Jeffreys, 1865
- Genus Woodbridgea Berry, 1953
- Woodbridgea polystrigma Dall, 1908 Furrowed Paper-bubble
- Distribution : America
- Woodbridgea williamsi S.S. Berry, 1953
- Distribution : West-America
- Woodbridgea polystrigma Dall, 1908 Furrowed Paper-bubble
Subfamily Toledoniinae
- Bogasonia Warén, 1989
- Bogasonia gorjachevi Chaban, 1998 - Distribution: Kurile Islands.
- Bogasonia volutoides Warén, 1989 - Distribution: IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Found at depths between 100-200 m.
- ToledoniaToledoniaToledonia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Diaphanidae.Toledonia is the type genus of the subfamily Toledoniinae.- Description :...
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