Stilifer

Stilifer
Engraving of Stilifer from 1854.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
informal group Ptenoglossa
Superfamily: Eulimoidea
Family: Eulimidae
Genus: Stilifer
Broderip and Sowerby, 1832
Type species
Stilifer astericola Broderip, 1832
Synonyms[1]
  • Stylifer Cossmann, 1921

Stilifer is a genus of small ectoparasitic sea snails that used to belong in the family Stiliferidae. Most recent sources consider it part of the family Eulimidae, which also belongs to the superfamily Eulimoidea.[1]

Description

"The imperforate, hyaline, thin shell has ab ovoid or elongated shape. It is smooth and polished. It contains numerous whorl. The apex is very sharp, sometimes bent. The nucleus is sinistral. The body whorl is globular. The aperture is suboval. The inner lip is smooth and arcuated. The outer lip is slightly sinuous, thin, and simple. There is no operculum.

The body of the animal is ciliated. The tentacles are slender, subulate, with eyes sessile at their outer bases. The mantle is reflected upon and more or less surrounding the shell, forming a siphonal lobe on the right side. The foot is linguiform, narrow and tubular in front, where it extends much beyond the head, attenuated behind, with a median groove below. The verge is sharp, elongated, resembling a tentacle.

This genus is commensal or parasitic in its habits, occurring on Echinoderms." [2]

Species

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) includes the following species with accepted names in the genus Stilifer:[1]

Species brought into synonymy

References