Atlanta affinis Tesch, 1906a

Overview

This is a medium sized dextrally shelled pelagic snail, 0.4 cm in diameter with very large eyes, a single swimming fin. It is large, strongly flattened and keeled. The spire is oblique with radial lines; the shell is colourless (Atlanta affinis). The operculum has a very small spire. It is a carnivore predating on relatively large zooplankton. This species occurs in warm waters of the Indian Ocean and Indo-Malayan waters (Atlanta affinis lateral).

Taxonomic Description

The shell is faint yellow with 6.5 whorls. The spire is oblique and rounded with radial sculpture. It is relatively large. The keel penetrates half a whorl distance in between the preceding whorls. The eyes are small of the type B. The thin transparent operculum is micro-oligogyre. The aperture is small oval. The radula is very large.
Shell diameter up to 4 mm.

Juveniles

The juveniles have a small dextrally coiled shell. A special description is not available (Atlanta affinis 1).

Reproduction

The sexes are separate in this species.

Ecology

This species is carnivorous and epipelagic.

Distribution

This species occurs in the W-Indian Ocean and Indo-Malayan waters.

Types

Atlanta affinis Tesch, 1906: 53, pl. 7, figs. 9-10.
Syntypes 19 specimens in ZMAN.
Type locality: Between Bahuluwang and Tambolungan, 1°4.5'S 127°52.6'E, 2°40'S 128°37.5'E, 3°32.5'S 124°15.5'E, 5°40.7'S 120°45.5'E, South of Lucipara Is. (Indonesia).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Streptoneura
Order Mesogastropoda
Superfamily Atlantacea
Family Atlantidae
Genus Atlanta
Species Atlanta affinis

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Atlanta affinis Tesch, 1906a

Synonyms

Atlanta affinis n. sp. (non Vayssiére, 1904) (part) Tesch, 1906a: 53
Atlanta inclinata part Frontier, 1966b: 132

Richter (1974) considered Atlanta affinis Tesch, 1906 a valid species. If it should prove to be a valid species, another name should be proposed as "affinis" is preoccupated in Atlanta.

Frontier, S., 1966b. Notes morphologiques sur les Atlanta récoltées dans le plancton de Nosy-Bé (Madagascar). Cah. ORSTOM, Océanogr. 4(2): 131-135, 36 figs.

Richter, G., 1974. Die Heteropoden der 'Meteor' Expedition in den Indischen Ozean 1964/65. 'Meteor' Forschungserg. (D)17: 55-78, 8 figs, 3 pls.

Richter, G., 1974. Die Heteropoden der 'Meteor' Expedition in den Indischen Ozean 1964/65. 'Meteor' Forschungserg. (D)17: 55-78, 8 figs, 3 pls.

Tesch, J. J., 1906a. Heteropoda der Siboga expeditie. Siboga Rep. 51: 1-112, 14 pls.

Tesch, J. J., 1909. Systematic monograph of the Atlantidae (Heteropoda) with enumeration of the species in the Leyden musem. Not. Leyden Mus. 30: 1-30, 5 pls.

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

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