Alaba is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Litiopidae.
Description
(Original description) The elongated shell is turreted. It is smooth and semi-translucent, with whorls that occasionally feature a few irregular varices. They often have fine axial ribs or striations. The outer lip is thin and simple, while the ovate aperture is slightly emarginate at the anterior end.
Distribution
Alaba is a cosmopolitan genus, but mostly distributed in shallow tropical and subtropical seas in coral reefs, rocky substrates, and seagrass beds.
Species
Species within the genus Alaba include:
- Alaba bowenensis <small>(Laseron, 1956)</small>
- Alaba cornea <small>(A. Adams, 1861)</small>
- Alaba culliereti <small>(Dautzenberg, 1891)</small>
- Alaba diffilata <small>(Laseron, 1956)</small>
- Alaba difformis <small>(Laseron, 1956)</small>
- Alaba felina <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba fragilis <small>(Thiele, 1930)</small>
- Alaba guayaquilensis <small>Bartsch, 1928</small>
- Alaba hartmeyeri <small>(Thiele, 1930)</small>
- Alaba hungerfordi <small>G. B. Sowerby III, 1894</small>
- Alaba imbricata <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba incerta <small>(d'Orbigny, 1841)</small>
- Alaba inflata <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba interrupelineata <small>Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932</small>
- Alaba jeanettae <small>Bartsch, 1910</small>
- Alaba leucosticta <small>(A. Adams, 1861)</small>
- Alaba lixa <small>(Iredale, 1936)</small>
- Alaba lucida <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba monile <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba picta <small>(A. Adams, 1861)</small>
- Alaba pinnae <small>(Krauss, 1848)</small>
- Alaba polyaulax <small>(Tomlin, 1923)</small>
- Alaba pulchra <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba punctostriata <small>A. Gould, 1861</small>
- Alaba semipellucida <small>(Preston, 1905)</small>
- Alaba subangulata <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba supralirata <small>Carpenter, 1857</small>
- Alaba vibex <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba zadela <small>Melvill & Standen, 1896</small>
- Alaba zebrina <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
Species brought into synonymy :
- Alaba adamsi <small>Dall, 1889</small>: synonym of Finella adamsi <small>(Dall, 1889)</small> (superseded combination)
- Alaba albugo <small>Watson, 1886</small> synonym of Diala albugo <small>(Watson, 1886)</small>
- Alaba catalinensis <small>Bartsch, 1920</small>: synonym of Pseudosabinella bakeri <small>(Bartsch, 1917)</small>
- Alaba cerithidioides <small>Dall, 1889</small>: synonym of Finella dubia <small>(A. d'Orbigny, 1840)</small> (junior subjective synonym)
- Alaba coma <small>Cotton, 1953</small>: synonym of Alaba pulchra <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba conoidea <small>Dall, 1889</small>: synonym of Caelatura rustica <small>(R. B. Watson, 1886)</small>
- Alaba fulva <small>Watson, 1886</small>: synonym of Finella rufocincta <small>(A. Adams, 1861)</small>
- Alaba goniochila <small>(A. Adams, 1860)</small>: synonym of Styliferina goniochila <small>A. Adams, 1860</small>
- Alaba incolorata <small>Thiele, 1912</small>: synonym of Bulimeulima incolorata <small>(Thiele, 1912)</small>
- Alaba interrupelineata [sic]: synonym of Alaba interruptelineata <small>Pilsbry & H. N. Lowe, 1932</small> (misspelling)
- Alaba leithii <small>E.A. Smith, 1876</small>: synonym of Mainwaringia leithii <small>(E.A. Smith, 1876)</small>
- Alaba magna <small>(Gatliff & Gabriel, 1910)</small>: synonym of Cingulina magna <small>Gatliff & Gabriel, 1910</small>
- Alaba martensi <small>Issel, 1869</small>: synonym of Diala sulcifera martensi <small>(Issel, 1869)</small> (superseded combination)
- Alaba mirabilis <small>(Hornung & Mermod, 1926)</small>: synonym of Gibborissoia virgata <small>(R. A. Philippi, 1849)</small>
- Alaba mutans <small>P. P. Carpenter, 1857</small>: synonym of Lapsigyrus mutans <small>(P. P. Carpenter, 1857)</small> (original combination)
- Alaba oldroydi <small>Dall, 1905</small>: synonym of Lirobarleeia kelseyi <small>(Dall & Bartsch, 1902)</small>
- Alaba opiniosa <small>(Iredale, 1936)</small>: synonym of Diffalaba opiniosa <small>Iredale, 1936</small>
- Alaba pagodula <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>: synonym of Alaba monile <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba phasianella <small>Angas, 1867</small>: synonym of Alaba monile <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba semistriata <small>(Philippi, 1849)</small>: synonym of Diala semistriata <small>(Philippi, 1849)</small>
- Alaba serrana <small>Smith & Gordon, 1948</small>: synonym of Pseudosabinella bakeri <small>(Bartsch, 1917)</small>
- Alaba striata <small>Watson, 1886</small>: synonym of Finella pupoides <small>Adams A., 1860</small>
- Alaba sulcata <small>Watson, 1886:</small> synonym of Doxander campbelli <small>(Griffith & Pidgeon, 1834)</small>
- Alaba vladivostokensis <small>Bartsch, 1929</small>: synonym of Diffalaba picta <small>(A. Adams, 1861)</small>: synonym of Alaba picta (A. Adams, 1861)
- Alaba terebralis <small>Carpenter, 1857</small>: synonym of Microeulima terebralis <small>(Carpenter, 1857)</small>
- Alaba translucida <small>(Hedley, 1905)</small>: synonym of Styliferina translucida <small>(Hedley, 1905)</small>
- Alaba violacea <small>Carpenter, 1857</small>: synonym of Microeulima terebralis <small>(Carpenter, 1857)</small>
Taxa inquirenda:
- Alaba blanfordi <small>A. Adams, 1862</small>
- Alaba copiosa <small>(Preston, 1915)</small> (unassessed, use in recent literature not established by editor)
- Alaba senegalensis <small>Maltzan, 1885</small>
- Alaba warnefordiana <small>Preston, 1908</small>
References
- Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp.
- Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180âÂÂ213
External links