''Waikura'' 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 very small

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, pyramidellid

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, or

micromollusk A micromollusc is a shelled mollusc which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine molluscs, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater molluscs also ...

s. This genus is currently placed 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 .MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Waikura Marwick, 1931. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818630 on 2023-09-17

Shell description

The original description by Marwick (1931) says that the genus consists of small shells that are subconical with a telescopic spire. The protoconch is heterostrophic and immersed. The sculpture consists of tubercles on the shoulders that extends axially for a short distance. There are no spiral sculpture except on the subsutural border. The surface is smooth and polished. The aperture is subrhombic with a highly sinuous outer lip that is convex below. Columella has a week tooth at the top.

Life habits

Little is known about the biology of the members of this genus. As is true of most members of the

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 ...

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'', they are probably

ectoparasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...

Species

Species within the genus ''Waikura'' include: * † '' Waikura circumdata'' Laws, 1941 * † '' Waikura clivosa'' Marwick, 1931 * '' Waikura coronata'' Peñas & Rolán, 2017 * † '' Waikura davidi'' Marwick, 1943 * † '' Waikura elevata'' P. A. Maxwell, 1988 * † '' Waikura finlayi'' Laws, 1941 * † '' Waikura hawera'' Laws, 1941 * † '' Waikura lawsi'' Robba, 2013 * † '' Waikura singularis'' Lozouet, 1998 * † '' Waikura teres'' Marwick, 1965 * † '' Waikura torques'' Marwick, 1931 (Type species) ;Taxon inquirendum: * ''Waikura chabanesi'' (de Folin, 1870)

References

* Pyramidellidae {{Pyramidellidae-stub de:Pyramidelloidea