Neolepetopsidae is a

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 ...

of small deep sea sea snails or true

limpet Limpets are a group of aquatic snails that exhibit a conical gastropod shell, shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot. Limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, but are polyphyletic, meaning the various groups called "limpets" ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

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 ...

s in the subclass

Patellogastropoda The Patellogastropoda, common name true limpets and historically called the Docoglossa, are members of a major phylogenetic group of marine gastropods, treated by experts either as a clade or as a taxonomic order. The clade Patellogastropoda is d ...

(according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). This family has no subfamilies.

Etymology

The name of the family Neolepetopsidae is composed of the prefix ''neo'', which means "new", and the word

Lepetopsidae Lepetopsidae is an extinct family of gastropods in the clade Patellogastropoda. This family has no subfamilies. Members of extant family Neolepetopsidae probably developed from Lepetopsidae. McLean J. H. (7 November 1990). "Neolepetopsidae, a ...

, which is the name of an extinct family of

true limpet The Patellogastropoda, common name true limpets and historically called the Docoglossa, are members of a major phylogenetic group of marine gastropods, treated by experts either as a clade or as a taxonomic order. The clade Patellogastropoda is ...

s, from which the species within Neolepetopsidae probably evolved.

Taxonomy

Two Neolepetosidae species ''

Eulepetopsis vitrea ''Eulepetopsis vitrea'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. ''Eulepetopsis vitrea'' is the only species in the genus ''Eulepetopsis''. Descr ...

'' and ''

Paralepetopsis floridensis ''Paralepetopsis floridensis'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. ''Paralepetopsis floridensis'' is the type species in the genus ''Paralep ...

'' were genetically analyzed by Harasewych & McArthur (2000),Harasewych M. G. & McArthur A. G. (2000). "A Molecular Phylogeny of the Patellogastropoda (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Eogastropoda)". ''Marine Biology'' 137(2): 183-194. http://hdl.handle.net/10088/4613 who confirmed placement of Neolepetopsidae within Acmaeoidea/

Lottioidea Lottioidea is a superfamily of sea snails or limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Patellogastropoda, the true limpets.MolluscaBase (2018). Lottioidea Gray, 1840. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.mar ...

based on analysis of partial

18S rDNA 18S ribosomal RNA (abbreviated 18S rRNA) is a part of the ribosomal RNA. The S in 18S represents Svedberg units. 18S rRNA is an SSU rRNA, a component of the eukaryotic ribosomal small subunit (40S). 18S rRNA is the structural RNA for the sma ...

. Neolepetopsidae belongs to superfamily

Neolepetopsoidea Neolepetopsoidea is the name of a taxonomic superfamily which is now considered to be a synonym of Lottioidea. Previously Neolepetopsoidea was considered to be a family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the clade Patellogastropod ...

according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). Neolepetopsoidea was synonymized with

so Neolepetopsidae was moved to superfamily Lottioidea in

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

.Gofas, S. (2010). Patellogastropoda. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=382158 on 2010-04-01

Distribution

The distribution of the Neolepetopsidae includes the Northeastern

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, the western Pacific (''

Paralepetopsis rosemariae ''Paralepetopsis'' is a genus of sea snails, the true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neolepetopsidae Neolepetopsidae is a family (biology), family of small deep sea sea snails or true limpets, marine (ocean), marine gastro ...

'') and the

Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. In the North Atlantic, the ridge separates the North A ...

Habitat

These limpets live in the

deep sea The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of 200 metres (656 feet) or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. Conditions within the deep sea are a combin ...

. Their habitat includes hydrothermal vents, whalebone (

baleen Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and ...

) and

whale-fall A whale fall occurs when the carcass of a whale has fallen onto the ocean floor at a depth greater than , in the bathyal or abyssal zones. On the sea floor, these carcasses can create complex localized ecosystems that supply sustenance to d ...

habitats.McLean J. H. (2008)
"Three New Species of the Family Neolepetopsidae (Patellogastropoda) from Hydrothermal Vents and Whale Falls in the Northeastern Pacific"
''Journal of Shellfish Research'' 27(1): 15-20.
abstract

Genera

There are currently known 3 genera and altogether 12 species in Neolepetopsidae: * ''

Neolepetopsis ''Neolepetopsis'' is a genus of sea snails, the true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neolepetopsidae. Species Species within the genus ''Neolepetopsis'' include: * ''Neolepetopsis densata'' McLean, 1990 * ''Neolepetopsis gorde ...

'' McLean, 1990 - type genus ** ''

Neolepetopsis gordensis ''Neolepetopsis gordensis'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. ''Neolepetopsis gordensis'' is the type species in the genus ''Neolepetopsis'' ...

'' McLean, 1990 - type species ** ''

Neolepetopsis densata ''Neolepetopsis densata'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. Description Distribution East Pacific Rise The East Pacific Rise is a mid- ...

'' McLean, 1990 ** ''

Neolepetopsis nicolasensis ''Neolepetopsis nicolasensis'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. Description Distribution northeastern Pacific Ocean Habitat whale bone ...

'' McLean, 2008 - from

whalebone Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and ...

** ''

Neolepetopsis verruca ''Neolepetopsis verruca'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. Description Distribution East Pacific Rise near 21° N. Habitat a sulphid ...

'' McLean, 1990 ** ''

Neolepetopsis occulta ''Neolepetopsis occulta'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. Description Distribution Green Seamount Habitat hydrothermal vent A hyd ...

'' McLean, 1990 * ''

Eulepetopsis ''Eulepetopsis'' is a genus of sea snails, the true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neolepetopsidae. Species Species within the genus ''Eulepetopsis'' include: * ''Eulepetopsis vitrea ''Eulepetopsis vitrea'' is a spec ...

'' McLean, 1990 - monotypic genus ** ''

'' McLean, 1990 * ''

Paralepetopsis ''Paralepetopsis'' is a genus of sea snails, the true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neolepetopsidae. Species Species within the genus ''Paralepetopsis'' include: * ''Paralepetopsis clementensis'' McLean, 2008 * ''Paralepetop ...

'' McLean, 1990 ** ''

'' McLean 1990 - type species ** ''

Paralepetopsis clementensis ''Paralepetopsis clementensis'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. Description Distribution northeastern Pacific Ocean Habitat whale bo ...

'' McLean, 2008 - from whalebone ** ''

Paralepetopsis ferrugivora ''Paralepetopsis ferrugivora'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. Description The largest reported specimen was 9.2 mm in diameter. Ha ...

'' Warén & Bouchet, 2001Warén A. & Bouchet P. (2001). "Gastropoda and Monoplacophora from hydrothermal vents and seeps new taxa and records". ''The Veliger'' 44(2): 116-227. ** '' Paralepetopsis lepichoni'' Warén & Bouchet, 2001 - from

Nankai Trench Nankai () is a family of schools in China founded by Yan Xiu (严范孙) (1860–1920) and Zhang Boling (张伯苓) (1876–1951). The schools include: * Nankai High School in Tianjin (天津南开中学) (1904). * Nankai University in Tianji ...

** ''

'' Beck, 1996Beck L. (1996). "Morphology and anatomy of new species of neolepetopsid, acmaeid, fissurellid and pyropeltid limpets from Edison Seamount off Lihir Islands (West Pacific)". ''Archiv für Molluskenkunde'' 125: 87-103. ** ''

Paralepetopsis sasakii ''Paralepetopsis sasakii'' is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neolepetopsidae, one of the families of true limpets. The specific name ''sasakii'' is in honor of Takenori Sasaki, the malacologis ...

'' Warén & Bouchet, 2009Warén A. & Bouchet P. (2009). "New gastropods from deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps off West Africa". ''Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography'' 56(23): 2326-2349. ** '' Paralepetopsis tunnicliffae'' McLean, 2008 - from hydrothermal vent

Etymology

Taxonomy

Distribution

Habitat

Genera

References

Further reading