''Synaptocochlea'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of very small sea snails,

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

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 ...

Trochidae The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles ...

, the top snails.

Description

The oval shell is intermediate between ''

Stomatella ''Stomatella'' is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Trochidae, the top snails and their allies. Lamarck in the Philos. Zool., 1809, mentioned the genus as "Stomatelle" but did not describe the ...

'' and ''Gena'' in contour. The very short

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

is sub-marginal. The surface is spirally striated or decussated. The very large

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 longer than wide. The animal has an operculum.

Distribution

This marine genus occurs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific, Indo-Malaysia,

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

and off Australia (

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

)

Species

Species within the genus ''Synaptocochlea'' include: * ''

Synaptocochlea asperulata ''Synaptocochlea asperulata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This cla ...

'' (A. Adams, 1850) * ''

Synaptocochlea belmonti ''Synaptocochlea belmonti'' is a species of sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with sl ...

'' Simone, 2009 * ''

Synaptocochlea caliginosa ''Synaptocochlea caliginosa'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This cla ...

'' H. & A. Adams, 1863 * ''

Synaptocochlea concinna ''Synaptocochlea concinna'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Synaptocochlea concinna'' (Gould, 1845). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ...

'' (Gould, 1845) * ''

Synaptocochlea granosa ''Synaptocochlea'' is a genus of very small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The oval shell is intermediate between ''Stomatella ''Stomatella'' is a genus of small to medium-sized ...

'' (Lambert, 1874) * ''

Synaptocochlea montrouzieri ''Synaptocochlea montrouzieri'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Synaptocochlea montrouzieri'' (Pilsbry, 1890). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Sp ...

'' (Pilsbry, 1890) * ''

Synaptocochlea picta ''Synaptocochlea picta'', common name the painted false stomatella, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Distribution This species occurs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico a ...

'' (d’Orbigny, 1847) * ''

Synaptocochlea pulchella ''Synaptocochlea pulchella'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Synaptocochlea pulchella'' (A. Adams, 1850). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species ...

'' (A. Adams, 1850) * ''

Synaptocochlea stellata ''Synaptocochlea stellata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Synaptocochlea stellata (Souverbie, 1863). Accessed through: World Register of ...

'' (Souverbie, 1863) The Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database also mentions the following species OBIS: ''Synaptocochlea''
/ref> * ''

Synaptocochlea hexagonum ''Synaptocochlea'' is a genus of very small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The oval shell is intermediate between ''Stomatella'' and ''Gena'' in contour. The very short spire is su ...

'' Philippi, 1850 * ''

Synaptocochlea tursicus ''Synaptocochlea'' is a genus of very small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The oval shell is intermediate between ''Stomatella'' and ''Gena'' in contour. The very short spire is su ...

'' Reeve, 1848 ; Species brought into synonymy: * ''Synaptocochlea inconcinna'' auct. non Pilsbry, 1921: synonym of ''

'' (d’Orbigny, 1847) * ''Synaptocochlea lactea'' Usticke, 1959: synonym of ''

'' (d’Orbigny, 1847) * ''Synaptocochlea nigrita'' Rehder, 1939: synonym of ''

'' (d’Orbigny, 1847) * ''Synaptocochlea picta'' (Montrouzier in Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1862): synonym of ''Synaptocochlea montrouzieri'' (Pilsbry, 1890)

References

* Vaught, K.C. (1989). ''A classification of the living Mollusca''. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp.

External links

Pilsbry, H. A. (1890-1891). Manual of conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. Ser. 1. Vol. 12: Stomatellidae, Scissurellidae, Pleurotomariidae, Haliotidae, Scutellinidae, Addisoniidae, Cocculinidae, Fissurellidae. pp 1-323, pls 1-65. Philadelphia, published by the Conchological Section, Academy of Natural Sciences.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3177327 Trochidae Gastropod genera