Gaza (gastropod)
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''Gaza'' 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 ...
Margaritidae Margaritidae is a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Trochoidea (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).Bouchet, P. (2012). Margaritidae. Accessed through: World Register o ...
.


Description

An examination of the soft parts of a species of the genus Gaza, by Dall showed the operculum to be very thin, light brown, and with about seven
whorl A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). In nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral diagra ...
s. The animal was of a whitish color without any spots or markings, and with very large black eyes set on a good-sized peduncle closely adjacent to and behind the tentacles. There is a single narrow gill in the usual position. The tentacles are long, large, and rather slender. The foot is short, broad, and bluntly rounded in front, behind almost truncate. In fact the contracted specimen looked almost as if there was a broad posterior indentation in the middle line. The muzzle is long, narrow, subcylindrical above and transversely expanded at its distal end, which is semi-lunar with a densely papillose surface and fringed edges. This expansion is nearly three times as wide as the stem of the muzzle. The epipodium (the lateral grooves between foot and mantle) has a large lobe behind the eye peduncle but is not connected with it. Behind the lobe is one long process and then a shorter one. The frill behind is merely puckered, but from under the borders of the operculum on each side protrude three good-sized processes. Behind the opercular lobe the epipodium terminates in a prominent point, concave and papillose on its upper surface. There are no frontal lobes between the tentacula. The epipodial point extends some distance behind the posterior end of the foot. The jaw is like that of ''
Calliostoma ''Calliostoma'' is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails with gills and an operculum, marine gastropod molluscs within the family Calliostomatidae, the Calliostoma top snails. Previously this genus was placed within the family Trochid ...
'' in shape. It is composed of brown four-sided translucent prismatic rodlets which give under the microscope a reticular marking of diamond-shaped spots to the surface of the jaw. The two sides are not united in the middle line. The
radula The radula (; : radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by mollusks 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 enters ...
closely resembles that of '' Lunella versicolor'' Gmelin as figured by Troschel (Geb. der Schnecken, ii, pi. 20, fig. 7), except that the bases of the rhachidian and lateral teeth are subcircular, and on a few of the scythe-shaped cusps of the numerous uncini (= the small teeth-like or hook-like structures on the radula) are a few denticles. There are five lateral teeth, and between twenty and thirty uncini. (Dall). The nucleus of '' Gaza superba'' is often caducous, and in such specimens the
apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics) A-Bomb Abomination Absorbing Man Abraxas Abyss Abyss is the name of two characters appearing in Ameri ...
is pierced with a circular perforation 1½ mm in diameter, which is continuous with the umbilicus. There does not appear to be any particular difference between the nucleus and the early whorls, its loss would therefore seem to be due merely to its fragility. In none of those in which it remains is there any indication of its being reinforced by a shelly deposit. (Dall) The species are all deep-sea dwellers, living mostly at depths of 180 m or greater


Species

Species within the genus ''Gaza'' include: * ''
Gaza compta ''Gaza compta'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae. Description The size of the shell varies between 23 mm and 28 mm. The pale beige shell has a weak spiral sculpture. But the first two w ...
'' Simone & Cunha, 2006 * ''
Gaza cubana ''Gaza cubana'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae. Description The size of the shell varies between 23 mm and 37 mm. The pale beige, discoid shell has a weak but marked spiral sculpture. ...
'' Clench & Aguayo, 1940 * ''
Gaza daedala ''Gaza daedala'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Gaza daedala'' Watson, 1879. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php ...
'' Watson, 1879 * ''
Gaza fischeri ''Gaza fischeri'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae. Description (Original description by W.H. Dall) The size of the shell varies between 15 mm and 30 mm. This shell iconsists of six an ...
'' Dall, 1889 * ''
Gaza olivacea ''Gaza olivacea'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Gaza olivacea'' Quinn, 1991. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.ph ...
'' Quinn, 1991 * ''
Gaza polychoronos ''Gaza polychoronos'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Gaza polychoronos'' Vilvens, 2012. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/ ...
'' Vilvens, 2012 * ''
Gaza rathbuni ''Gaza rathbuni'', common name Rathbun's gaza, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Margaritidae.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Gaza rathbuni''. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespec ...
'' Dall, 1890 * '' Gaza superba'' (Dall, 1881) Synonyms: * ''Gaza frederici'' E. A. Smith, 1906: synonym of ''
Callogaza frederici ''Callogaza frederici'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Margaritidae.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Callogaza frederici''. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.ph ...
'' (E. A. Smith, 1906) * ''Gaza sericata'' Kira, 1959: synonym of ''
Callogaza sericata ''Callogaza sericata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Margaritidae.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Callogaza sericata'' (Kira, 1959). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.o ...
'' (Kira, 1959) * ''Gaza watsoni'' (Dall, 1881): synonym of ''
Callogaza watsoni ''Callogaza watsoni'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Margaritidae. Description The slightly nacreous shell reaches a length of 15 mm. It contains 6¼ whorls having the same general form as in '' Gaza ...
'' Dall, 1881


References


Luiz Ricardo L. Simone & Carlo M. Cunha, ''Revision of genera Gaza and Callogaza (Vetigastropoda, Trochidae), with description of a new Brazilian species''; Zootaxa1318: 1–40 (2006)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3229367 Gastropod genera Margaritidae