my-server
← Wiki

Persicula

Persicula is a taxonomic genus of minute to small predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. It includes several species which are micromollusks.

This genus is placed in the family Cystiscidae. It was previously in the family Marginellidae the margin snails. Both families are within the order Neogastropoda.

(Note: Gastropod taxonomy has been in flux for more than half a century, and this is especially true currently, because of new research in molecular phylogeny. Because of all the ongoing changes, different reliable sources can yield very different classifications.)

Habitat

Species in this genus live from the intertidal zone to 370 meters in depth.

Shell description

In this genus the shell is minute to small. It can be uniformly colored or white, and the color can be patterned. The shell is moderately thick to thick. The spire is usually immersed. The lip of the aperture is thickened, and weakly to strongly lirate.

An external varix can be present or absent. There is a distinct siphonal notch present and a posterior notch is also present. The columella is multiplicate, with 4 to 13 plications plus parietal lirae.

Description of soft parts

The animal has long tentacles, and the siphon is also usually long. The mantle appears not to extend completely over the external shell surface.

Species

The separation between the genera Persicula and Gibberula is not well-defined. It is based on morphological differences with the larger species (showing a complex color pattern) belonging to Persicula, while the smaller species (showing a banded or uniform color pattern) belong to Gibberula. Many species with characteristics that fall between the two extremes, are ambiguous. Up to now (2010) there is no phylogenetic analysis to substantiate this rather arbitrary classification.

According to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), the following species with valid names are included within the genus Persicula :

Taxa inquirenda:

Synonyms

  • Persicula alborubida <small>Barnard, 1969</small>: synonym of Cystiscus pseustes <small>(E. A. Smith, 1904)</small>
  • Persicula aldridgei <small>Nowell-Usticke, 1969</small>: synonym of Gibberula aldridgei <small>(Nowell-Usticke, 1969)</small> (original combination)
  • Persicula cassidiforme <small>Gaskoin, 1853</small> : synonym of Pachybathron cassidiforme <small>(Gaskoin, 1853)</small>
  • Persicula catenata <small>Montagu, 1803</small> : synonym of Gibberula catenata <small>(Montagu, 1803)</small>
  • Persicula chudeaui <small>Bava</small>y: synonym of Gibberula chudeaui <small>(Bavay in Dautzenberg, 1910)</small>
  • Persicula cypraeoides <small>Adams, 1845</small> : synonym of Pachybathron cypraeoides <small>(Adams, C.B., 1845)</small>
  • Persicula dalli <small>Morretes, 1941</small>: synonym of Archierato dalli <small>(Morretes, 1941)</small> (original combination)
  • Persicula dentiformis <small>Thiele, 1930</small>: synonym of Gibberula dentiformis <small>(Thiele, 1930)</small>
  • Persicula fluctuata <small>Adams, 1850</small> : synonym of Gibberula fluctuata <small>(Adams, 1850)</small>
  • Persicula grisea <small>Jousseaume, 1875</small>: synonym of Cryptospira grisea <small>(Jousseaume, 1875)</small> (original combination)
  • Persicula kienerianum <small>Petit, 1838</small> : synonym of Pachybathron kieneriana <small>(Petit de la Saussaye, S., 1838)</small>
  • Persicula lucens <small>Locard, 1897</small>: synonym of Persicula blanda <small>(Hinds, 1844)</small>
  • Persicula lucida <small>(Marrat, 1877)</small>: synonym of Hyalina lucida <small>(Marrat, 1877)</small>
  • Persicula maculata <small>Swainson, 1840</small>: synonym of Persicula persicula <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
  • Persicula maldiviana <small>T. Cossignani, 2001</small>: synonym of Gibberula maldiviana <small>(T. Cossignani, 2001)</small> (original combination)
  • Persicula miliaria <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>: synonym of Gibberula miliaria <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
  • Persicula nigrocrocea <small>Barnard, 1969</small>: synonym of Plesiocystiscus aphanospira <small>(Tomlin, 1913)</small>
  • Persicula obesa <small>(Redfield, 1846)</small>: synonym of Persicula tessellata <small>(Lamarck, 1822)</small>
  • Persicula persiculocingulata <small>Tournier, 1997</small> : synonym of Persicula persicula <small>(Linnaeus, C., 1758)</small>
  • Persicula pisiformis <small>Thiele, 1930</small>: synonym of Cystiscus cymbalum<small> (Tate, 1878)</small> (junior synonym)
  • Persicula pulchella <small>(Kiener, 1834)</small>: synonym of Gibberula pulchella <small>(Kiener, 1834)</small>
  • Persicula saharica <small>Locard, 1897</small>: synonym of Persicula blanda<small> (Hinds, 1844)</small>
  • Persicula tantilla <small>Gould, 1860</small>: synonym of Granulina tantilla <small> (Gould, 1860) </small>(original combination)
  • Persicula tayrona <small>Diaz & Velasquez, 1987</small>: synonym of Pachybathron tayrona <small>Díaz, J.M. & Velasquez, 1987</small>
  • Persicula thomensis <small>(Tomlin, 1919)</small>: synonym of Gibberula thomensis<small> (Tomlin, 1919)</small>
  • Persicula variabilis <small>Schumacher, 1817</small>: synonym of Persicula persicula <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>

References

  • Cossignani T. (2006). Marginellidae & Cystiscidae of the World. L'Informatore Piceno. 408pp