Lepetelloidea is a superfamily of sea snails, small deepwater limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Vetigastropoda (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). (Previously this superfamily was in the order Cocculiniformia.) [1]

Lepetelloidea
Drawing of three views of Addisonia excentrica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Lepetellida
Superfamily: Lepetelloidea
Dall, 1882
Families

See text

Description

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Species in this superfamily have undivided shell muscles (except Lepetellidae). They possess secondary gill leaflets or their gills are reduced. Their radula contains a well-developed rachidian tooth.

The soft body lacks subpallial (i.e. below the mantle) glands. They have paired kidneys with the right one larger. With the exception of the subfamily Choristellinae, all known lepetelloids are simultaneous hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs at the same time.[2] Species in the subfamily Choristellinae are gonochoristic, i.e. with distinct males and females). The ciliated gonoducts (the ducts through which the gametes reach the exterior) contain no glands.[3]

Families

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Families within the superfamily Lepetelloidea include:

References

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  1. ^ WoRMS (2011). Lepetelloidea. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=382160 on 2011-08-13
  2. ^ Haszprunar, Gerhard (1998). "Superorder Cocculiniformia". Molusca: The Southern Synthesis. 5 – via CSIRO Publishing.
  3. ^ José H. Leal and M. G. Harasewych, Deepest Atlantic Molluscs: Hadal Limpets (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Cocculiniformia) from the Northern Boundary of the Caribbean Plate, Invertebrate Biology, Vol. 118, No. 2 p. 127
  • Haszprunar G & McLean JH 1996. Anatomy and systematics of bathyphytophilid limpets (Mollusca, Archeogastropoda) from the northeastern Pacific. Zool. Scripta 25: 35–49.