Chrysallidinae is a taxonomic group of very small sea snails, marine gastropod

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Pyramidellidae Pyramidellidae, common name the pyram family, or pyramid shells, is a voluminous taxonomic family of mostly small and minute ectoparasitic sea snails, marine heterobranch gastropod molluscs. The great majority of species of pyrams are micr ...

, the pyrams and their allies.

Taxonomy

Chrysallidinae has been one of eleven recognized

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of the gastropod family

(according to the taxonomy of Ponder & Lindberg 1997). (The other 10 subfamilies are Odostomiinae, Turbonillinae, Cingulininae, Cyclostremellinae, Sayellinae, Syrnolinae, Eulimellinae, Pyramidellinae,

Odostomellinae Odostomellini is a taxonomic tribe of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs within the family Pyramidellidae the pyrams and their allies. Taxonomy Odostomellinae has been one of eleven recognised subfamilies of the family Pyramidel ...

and Tiberiinae.) According to Schander, Van Aartsen & Corgan (1999) there are 47 genera in this subfamily, four additional genera may also be a part of this taxon. In the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), this subfamily has been downgraded to the rank of

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

Chrysallidini in the subfamily Odostomiinae.

Genera

Genera in the subfamily Chrysallidinae include: * '' Chrysallida''

Carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tra ...

, 1856 - type genus * '' Babella''

Dall Dall may refer to: People * Anders Bendssøn Dall (died 1607), Danish Lutheran bishop * Bobby Dall (born 1963), American musician * Caroline Healey Dall (1822–1912), American feminist writer *Clarrie Dall (1887–1953), Australian footballer * C ...

, & Bartsch, 1906 * '' Bartrumella'' Laws, 1940 * '' Besla''

& Bartsch, 1904 * '' Boonea'' Robertson, 1978 * '' Egila''

, & Bartsch, 1904 * '' Euparthenia'' Thiele, 1929 * '' Eupyrgulina'' Melvill, 1910 * '' Eurathea'' Laseron, 1959 * '' Evalina''

& Bartsch, 1904 * '' Fargoa'' Bartsch, 1955 * ''

Folinella ''Folinella'' is a genus of minute sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Pyramidellidae within the tribe Chrysallidini.Gofas, S. (2011). Folinella. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ht ...

, & Bartsch, 1904 * '' Gurmatia'' Dance & Eames, 1966 * '' Haldra''

, & Bartsch, 1904 * '' Helodiamea'' Peñas & Rolán, 2017 * '' Hinemoa'' Oliver, 1915 * '' Iolaea'' A. Adams, 1867 * '' Ivara''

& Bartsch in Arnold, 1903 * '' Kongsrudia'' Lygra & Schander, 2010 * '' Laseronella'' Whitley, 1959 * '' Levipyrgulina'' Laws, 1941 * '' Liamorpha'' Pilsbry, 1898 * '' Linopyrga'' Laws, 1941 * '' Menesthella'' Nomura, 1939 * '' Menestho'' Möller, 1842 * '' Miralda'' A. Adams, 1863 * '' Miraldella'' Bartsch, 1955 * ''

Monotygma ''Monotigma'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2011). ''Monotigma'' G.B. Sowerby II, 1839. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http ...

'' J. E. Gray, 1847 * '' Mumiola'' A. Adams, 1863 * '' Numaegilina'' Nomura, 1938 * '' Ovalina'' Peñas & Rolán, 2017 * ''

Oscilla :For the genus of marine molluscs, see ''Oscilla'' (gastropod). ''Oscilla'' is a word applied in Latin usage to small figures, most commonly masks or faces, which were hung up as offerings to various deities, either for propitiation or expiation, ...

'' A. Adams, 1861 * ''

Parthenina ''Parthenina'' is a genus of very small sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusks or micromollusks.Gofas, S.; Bouchet, P. (2015). Parthenina Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www ...

'' Bucquoy, Dauzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 * '' Perparthenina'' Nordsieck, 1972 * '' Polemicella'' Saurin, 1959 * '' Prestoniella'' Saurin, 1958 * '' Pseudoscilla'' Boettger, 1901 * '' Pukeuria'' Laws, 1941 * '' Pyrgulina'' A. Adams, 1863 * '' Quirella'' Laseron, 1959 * '' Ravnostomia'' Adegoke, 1977 * '' Salassia'' De Folin, 1870 * '' Salassiella''

& Bartsch, 1909 * '' Siogamaia'' Nomura, 1936 * ''

Spiralinella ''Spiralinella'' is a genus of very small sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around ...

'' Chaster, 1901 * '' Standeniella'' Saurin, 1958 * '' Strioturbonilla'' Sacco, 1892 * ''

Trabecula A trabecula (plural trabeculae, from Latin for "small beam") is a small, often microscopic, tissue element in the form of a small beam, strut or rod that supports or anchors a framework of parts within a body or organ. A trabecula generally has ...

'' Monterosato, 1884 * '' Tragula'' Monterosato, 1884 * '' Waikura'' Marwick, 1931

Possible extra genera

Genera likely to reside in the subfamily Chrysallidinae include: * '' Raulinia'' Mayer, 1864 * '' Rugadentia'' Laseron, 1951 * '' Stylopyramis'' Thiele, 1929 * '' Taphrostomia'' Cossmann, 1921

Distribution

This family is found worldwide, from the tropics to the Arctic.

Shell description

The shell of these snails has a blunt, heterostrophic

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also calle ...

, which is often wrapped up. The texture of these shells is sculptured in various forms such as ribs and spirals. Their color is mostly white, cream or yellowish. The

teleoconch The gastropod shell is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium storage. So ...

is dextrally coiled, but the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

l shells are

sinistral Sinistral and dextral, in some scientific fields, are the two types of chirality ("handedness") or relative direction. The terms are derived from the Latin words for "left" (''sinister'') and "right" (''dexter''). Other disciplines use different ...

. This results in a sinistrally coiled protoconch. The

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the ...

has one, spiral fold. The

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An ...

is closed by an operculum.

Life habits

The Chrysallidinae are

ectoparasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

s, feeding mainly on other molluscs and on annelid

worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always). Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete worm ...

s. They do not have a

radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...

. Instead their long

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elonga ...

is used to pierce the skin of its prey and suck up its fluids and soft tissues. The eyes on the grooved tentacles are situated toward the base of the tentacles. Between the head and the foot, a lobed process called the

mentum The mentum is an anatomical structure, a projecting feature that is near the mouth of a variety of animals: *In insects, the mentum is the distal part of the labium. The mentum bears the palps, glossae, paraglossae, and/or ligula. *On the hum ...

( = thin projection) is visible. These molluscs are

hermaphrodite In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have ...

s, laying eggs in jelly-like masses on the shell of its host.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5114529 Pyramidellidae