''Aesopus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
sea snail
Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...
s,
marine gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...
mollusk
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...
s in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Columbellidae
The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Columbellidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marin ...
, the dove snails.
Description
(Original description in Latin) The animal is white with a sole that is emarginate anteriorly and obtuse posteriorly, featuring a flabelliform horny cover. It has a small head with external medial eyes and a wide, very short siphon.
The shell is fusiform and humpbacked, with a widely truncated anterior. The lunate
aperture
In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...
has its posterior corner filled with callus. The
columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (, Arabic: ) was a prominent Roman writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture and ancient Roman cuisin ...
is simple and vitreous, while the suture near the aperture is abnormally arched.
The backward angle and downward curvature of the body whorl are quite peculiar. The form and appearance of the shell, along with the structure of the animal, suggest that it occupies an intermediate position between the genera
Mitra
''Mitra'' (Proto-Indo-Iranian language, Proto-Indo-Iranian: wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/mitrás, ''*mitrás'') is the name of an Indo-Iranians#Religion, Indo-Iranian divinity that predates the Rigveda, Rigvedic Mitra (Hindu god), Mitrá ...
and
Columbella
''Columbella'' is a genus of small sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Species
Species within the genus ''Columbella'' include:
* ''Columbella adansoni'' Karl The ...
.
Species
Species within the genus ''Aesopus'' include:
* ''
Aesopus algoensis''
(G.B. Sowerby III, 1892)
* ''
Aesopus aliciae''
Marincovich, 1973
* ''
Aesopus australis
''Aesopus australis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
(Original description) The shell is elongate and fusiform, moderately solid, and pale brown with a shining sur ...
''
(Angas, 1877)
* ''
Aesopus benitoensis''
de Maintenon, 2019
* ''
Aesopus cassandra''
(Hedley, 1904)
* ''
Aesopus chrysalloideus
''Aesopus chrysalloideus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains 12.5 mm, its diameter 4.5 mm.
(Described as † ''Aesopus idae'') The co ...
''
(Carpenter, 1866)
* ''
Aesopus clausiliformis
''Aesopus clausiliformis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The size of an adult shell varies between 10 mm and 15 mm.
The small, spindle-shaped shell boa ...
''
(Kiener, 1834)
* ''
Aesopus cumingii''
(Reeve, 1859)
* † ''
Aesopus eniwetokensis''
(Ladd, 1977)
* ''
Aesopus eurytoides
''Aesopus eurytoides'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
(Original description in Latin) The turreted shell is small and slender, and has a whitish coloration. Often, ...
''
(Carpenter, 1864)
* ''
Aesopus foucheae
''Aesopus foucheae'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Distribution
This marine species occurs off South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RS ...
''
Lussi, 2017
* ''
Aesopus fredbakeri
''Aesopus fredbakeri'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Distribution
This marine species occurs off Mexico, Nicaragua and Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of ...
''
Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932
* ''
Aesopus fuscostrigatus
''Aesopus fuscostrigatus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
(Original description in Latin) The small, turreted shell is livid with a shiny surface. It is prominentl ...
''
(Carpenter, 1864)
* ''
Aesopus geraldsmithi
''Aesopus geraldsmithi'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Distribution
This marine species occurs off KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Province ...
''
Lussi M., 2001
* ''
Aesopus goforthi
''Aesopus goforthi'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
This is a taxon inquirendum.
Description
The length of the shell attains 13 mm, its diameter 3.3 mm.
(Original descriptio ...
''
Dall, 1912 (taxon inquirendum)
* ''
Aesopus gracilis
''Aesopus gracilis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae
The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropod ...
''
Faber, 2004
* ''
Aesopus guyanensis
''Aesopus guyanensis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains .
Distribution
This marine species occurs off French Guiana
French Gui ...
''
Pelorce, 2017
* ''
Aesopus jaffaensis
''Aesopus jaffaensis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains 5.9 mm, its diameter 2.2 mm.
(Original description) The shell is cylindrical ...
''
(Verco, 1910)
* ''
Aesopus japonicus
''Aesopus japonicus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains 7 mm, its diameter 2 mm.
The shell is small, solid, and chestnut-colored, wit ...
''
Gould, 1860
* ''
Aesopus meta''
(Thiele, 1925)
* ''
Aesopus multistriatus''
(Preston, 1905)
* ''
Aesopus myrmecoon''
Dall, 1916
* ''
Aesopus obesus''
(Hinds, 1844)
* ''
Aesopus pallidulus''
(Hedley, 1906)
* ''
Aesopus plurisulcatus''
Reeve, 1859
* ''
Aesopus rotundus''
Drivas & Jay, 1990
* ''
Aesopus sanctus''
Dall, 1919
* ''
Aesopus solidus''
(May, 1911)
* ''
Aesopus stearnsii''
(Tryon, 1883)
* ''
Aesopus urania''
Melvill & Standen, 1901
* ''
Aesopus veneris''
(Thiele, 1925)
;Species brought into synonymy:
* ''Aesopus angustus''
(G.B. Sowerby III, 1886): synonym of ''
Clathranachis angusta''
(G.B. Sowerby III, 1886)
* ''Aesopus arestus''
Dall, 1919: synonym of ''
Ithiaesopus arestus''
(Dall, 1919) (original combination)
* † ''Aesopus crebricostatus''
Tenison Woods, 1879: synonym of ''Anachis (Turricolumbus) crebricostata''
(Tenison Woods, 1879) represented as † ''
Anachis crebricostata''
(Tenison Woods, 1879)
* ''Aesopus eurytoideus''
(Carpenter, 1864): synonym of ''Aesopus eurytoides''
(Carpenter, 1864)
* ''Aesopus filosus''
Angas, 1867: synonym of ''Aesopus plurisulcatus''
Reeve, 1859
* ''Aesopus hilium''
Hedley, 1908: synonym of ''
Austropusilla hilum''
(Hedley, 1908) (superseded combination)
* † ''Aesopus idae''
Bartsch, 1918: synonym of ''
Aesopus chrysalloideus
''Aesopus chrysalloideus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains 12.5 mm, its diameter 4.5 mm.
(Described as † ''Aesopus idae'') The co ...
''
(P. P. Carpenter, 1864)
* ''Aesopus metcalfei''
(Reeve, 1858): synonym of ''Aesopus obesus''
(Hinds, 1844)
* ''Aesopus metella''
(Thiele, 1925): synonym of ''
Decipifus metellus''
(Thiele, 1925)
* ''Aesopus osborni''
Hertlein & Strong, 1951: synonym of ''
Exaesopus osborni''
(Hertlein & A. M. Strong, 1951) (original combination)
* † ''Aesopus semicostatus''
Tenison Woods, 1879: synonym of † ''
Retizafra semicostata''
(Tenison Woods, 1879)
* ''Aesopus spiculus''
(Duclos in Chenu, 1846):
synonym of ''Aesopus clausiliformis''
(Kiener, 1834)
* ''Aesopus subturritus''
(Carpenter, 1866): synonym of ''
Exaesopus subturritus''
(P. P. Carpenter, 1864)
* ''Aesopus xenicus''
Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932: synonym of ''
Glyptaesopus xenicus
''Glyptaesopus xenicus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Borsoniidae.
Description
The size of an adult shell grows to a length of 6 mm to 8 mm.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Pacific Ocea ...
''
(Pilsbry & H. N. Lowe, 1932) (original combination)
References
* Gould, A.A. 1860. Descriptions of new shells collected by the North Pacific Exploring Expedition. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History 7: 382-384
* Wilson, B. 1994. Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
* Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. 1999. Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-bearing Mollusca of Japan. Japan : Elle Scientific Publications 749 pp.
* Ramirez, R.; Paredes, C.; Arenas, J. (2003). Moluscos del Perú. Revista de Biología Tropical. 51(supplement 3): 225-284.
Iredale, T. (1929). Queensland molluscan notes, No. 1. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 9(3): 261-297, pls 30-31
{{Taxonbar">from=Q4688565
Columbellidae
Gastropod genera