Menesthella

Menesthella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

informal group Lower Heterobranchia
Superfamily: Pyramidelloidea
Family: Pyramidellidae
Subfamily: Chrysallidinae
Genus: Menesthella
Nomura, 1939
Species

See text.

Menesthella is a genus of very small sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusks, or micromollusks. This genus is currently placed in the subfamily Chrysallidinae of the family Odostomiidae. It was originally described as a subgenus of Menestho Möller, 1842 but was erected to genus status by Schander et al. 1999.

Contents

Shell description

The shell is small, broadly conical and imperforate. The surface is marked by strong, equally spaced spiral chords and by fine axial growth-lines seen between the sutures. The peripery of the last whorl is sulcate and the base is smooth. The columella fold (tooth) is strong.

Life habits

Little is known about the biology of the members of this genus. As is true of most members of the Pyramidellidae sensu lato, they are most likely to be ectoparasites.

Species

Species within the genus Menesthella include:

References