''Mormula'' 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 ...

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 ...

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 micromol ...

, the pyrams and their allies.WoRMS (2010). ''Mormula'' A. Adams, 1864. Accessed through:

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=203962 on 26 August 2012

Description

The thick shell is turreted and shaped like an awl, rissoid, solid, and longitudinally plicate . The

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 ...

is large. 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 spirally tortuous. The outer lip is thickened within. The margin acute. G.W. Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VIII p. 297; 1889

Species

Species within the genus ''Mormula'' include: Mormula chrysozona 001

* '' Mormula chrysozona'' (Martens, 1880) * '' Mormula hirasei'' Kuroda, 1960 * '' Mormula macandreae'' A. Adams, 1870 * '' Mormula persarum'' Melvill & Standen, 1903 * '' Mormula philippiana'' (Dunker, 1860) * '' Mormula pseudorex'' (Nomura, 1936) * '' Mormula rex'' (Pilsbry, 1904) ;Species brought into synonymy: * ''Mormula aureocincta'' Kuroda & Habe, 1971: synonym of '' Pyrgiscus aureocinctus'' (Kuroda & Habe, 1971) * ''Mormula excellens'' G.B. Sowerby III, 1907: synonym of '' Turbonilla aulica'' Dall & Bartsch, 1906 * ''Mormula humilis'' (Preston, 1905): synonym of '' Quirella humilis'' (Preston, 1905) * ''Mormula rissoina'' A. Adams, 1864: synonym of '' Turbonilla philippiana'' Dunker, 1860 * ''Mormula terebra'' (A. Adams, 1861): synonym of '' Chrysallida terebra'' A. Adams, 1861

References

Adams A. (1863). ''On the species of Pyramidellinae found in Japan''. Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, 7: 1-6

Odé H. (1998) ''Indo-Pacific taxa of turbonillids, excluding those along the Americas''. Texas Conchologist 34(2): 33-103

External links

World Register of Marine Species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6912706 Pyramidellidae