Pterotrachea

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Pterotrachea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Superorder: Caenogastropoda
Order: Sorbeoconcha
Suborder: Hypsogastropoda
Infraorder: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Pterotracheoidea
Family: Pterotracheidae
Genus: Pterotrachea
Forskål, 1775
Species

See text.

Pterotrachea is a taxonomic genus of medium-sized to large floating sea slugs, marine pelagic gastropod molluscs in the family Pterotracheidae, which is in the infraorder Littorinimorpha. As such they are quite closely related to such families as the tritons (Ranellidae) and the tun shells (Tonnidae).

These pelagic slugs are not at all closely related to the pelagic opisthobranch gastropods such as the sea angels and sea butterflies.

[edit] Description

The animal is large, elongated, without a shell or mantle. On the underside of the animal, the foot projects as a thin muscular flap, and is employed in sculling the animal along.

[edit] Species within the genus Pterotrachea

[edit] References