Emarginulinae

Emarginulinae
A shell of Emarginula striatula
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Lepetellida
Family: Fissurellidae
Subfamily: Emarginulinae
Children, 1834
Synonyms
  • Clypidinidae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1989
  • Emarginulidae Children, 1834 (original rank)
  • Fissurellideinae Pilsbry, 1890

The subfamily Emarginulinae, common name keyhole limpets and slit limpets, is a taxonomic subfamily of limpet-like sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.[1]

The subfamily consists of the following tribes:[2]

  • Tribe Emarginulini Children, 1834 - synonyms: Rimulidae, Anton, 1838; Zeidoridae Naef, 1913; Hemitominae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971; Clypidinidae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1989
  • Tribe Diodorini Odhner, 1932: this tribe has been raised to the rank of subfamily Diodorinae Odhner, 1932 [3]
  • Tribe Fissurellideini Pilsbry, 1890
  • Tribe Scutini Christiaens, 1973

Of the subfamilies in Fissurellidae, the subfamily Emarginulinae is the oldest: its earliest known species date back to the Mesozoic.[4]

The various tribes belong to this subfamily because of the unifying features in their radula. Several tribes were formerlysynonym of subfamilies, because of the differences in their shell. The Emargulini have a caplike shell with a slit in the margin but without an apical opening (foramen). The Scutini have a flat shield-shaped shell with a vague indentation at the back. The other tribes have a caplike shell with a round, oval or triangular apical opening.

The species of this subfamily can be found attached to rocks or coral. They are Herbivores.

  1. ^ Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2012). Emarginulinae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=224510 on 2013-01-01
  2. ^ Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
  3. ^ Aktipis S.W., Boehm E. & Giribet G. (2011) Another step towards understanding the slit-limpets (Fissurellidae, Fissurelloidea, Vetigastropoda, Gastropoda): a combined five-gene molecular phylogeny. Zoologica Scripta 40: 238-259
  4. ^ McLean, James H.; R.N. Kilburn (September 1986). "Propodial elaboration in Southern African and Indian Ocean Fissurellidae (Mollusca, Prosobranchia) with description of two new genera and one new species" (PDF). Contributions in Science. 379: 1–12. doi:10.5962/p.208123. S2CID 135095660. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-21. Retrieved 2010-07-19.