Pneumodermopsis (Pneumodermopsis) oligocotyla Massy, 1917

Overview

This is a small, naked pelagic snail, up to 0.5 cm long, with a mainly transparent body the reddish brown of the visceral mass is seen through the body wall. The skin has purple and black chromatophores. There is a median sucker arm (though not mentioned in original description) and two lateral suckers are found on the buccal wall. The posterior gill is absent (Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla). The posterior footlobe is long. It lives in the NE-Atlantic Ocean.

Taxonomic Description

Body narrow with two ciliated bands (in the type specimen). Median foot tubercle invisible, posterior footlobe moderately long. Gills were not described. For Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla only this original illustration after Massy, with the median radula teeth, is known. On the ventral wall of the buccal cavity are two extremely large suckers with short, thick stalks. The radula formula is 6-1-6. The median plate is tricuspoid though the median cusp is extremely small. The lateral teeth are long, broadly based. The jaw is similar in Schizobrachium. The hooks are short, only three to four times longer than the lateral teeth, in each sac there are about 40. Skin unpigmented, proboscis transparent with skin glands forming raised white spots.
Maximum body length is 5 mm.

Juveniles

A special description is not available.

Reproduction

This species is a protandric hermaphrodite.

Ecology

This species is a carnivore.

Distribution

This species was only found once in the centre NE-Atlantic Ocean, see the Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla map.

Types

Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla Massy, 1917: 234, pl. 8, fig. I.
Types: the two spec. are not found in BMNH.
Type locality: 54°57'N 10°51'W, 51°54'N11°54'W. Coll.: CHCE, stat. 197, stat. 302.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Euthyneura
Order Gymnosomata
Suborder Gymnosomata
Family Pneumodermatidae
Genus Pneumodermopsis
Subgenus Pneumodermopsis
Species Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Pneumodermopsis (Pneumodermopsis) oligocotyla Massy, 1917

Synonyms

Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla n. sp. Massy, 1917: 234
Pneumodermopsis (Pneumodermopsis) oligocotyla Van der Spoel, 1972a: 76

This species is incompletely known and may turn out to be synonymous with Pn. (Pn.) canephora.

Massy, A. L., 1917. The gymnosomatous Pteropoda of the coast of Ireland. Sci. Proc. R. Dublin Soc. (NS) 15(12): 223-224, 1 tab., 6 figs, pl. 8.

Pruvot-Fol, A., 1924a. Étude de quelques gymnosomes méditerranéens des pêches de 'l'Orvet' en 1921 et 1922. Arch. Zool. Exp. Gén. 62(6): 345-400, 32 figs, pls 15-16.

Pruvot-Fol, A., 1954. Mollusques opisthobranches. Faune de France 58. Paris (Lechevalier): 1-460, 173 figs, 1 pl.

Tesch, J. J., 1913c. Mollusca, Pteropoda. In: F. E. Schulze. Das Tierreich. Eine Zusammenstellung und Kennzeichnung der rezenten Tierformen 36. Berlin (Friedberger and Sohn): i-xvi, 1-154, 108 figs.

Spoel, S. van der, 1972a. A taxonomic outline of the Gymnosomata (Mollusca). Basteria 36 (2-5): 75-88.

Spoel, S. van der, 1976c. Pseudothecosomata, Gymnosomata and Heteropoda. Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, Utrecht. 484 pp. 246 figs.

No distribution map was available at OBIS the last time we checked. Retry now.

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