Phasianella, common name the pheasant shells, is a genus of small sea snails with a calcareous operculum and a colorfully patterned shell, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Phasianellidae.

Phasianella
Temporal range: Badenian[1]-Recent
A shell of Phasianella solida on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Trochida
Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Phasianellidae
Subfamily: Phasianellinae
Genus: Phasianella
Lamarck, 1804[2]
Type species
Phasianella australis Gmelin, J.F., 1791
Synonyms[3]
  • Bolina Rafinesque, 1815
  • Eutropia Gray, 1847
  • Orthopnoea Gistl, 1848
  • Pasianella Gregorio, 1922
  • Phaisianella King & Ping, 1933
  • Thasianella Tolmer, 1928

Description edit

The white shell has a bulimiform or subglobose shape. It is polished, without epidermis or nacre, variegated with bright colors. The heavy operculum is calcareous, internally paucispiral, with a nucleus near the basal margin. It is externally convex. The columella is smooth, arcuate and not dentate.

The animal has long tentacles, and has usually pectinated head lobes. These frontal lobes distinguish this genus from Tricolia, which lacks frontal lobes. The epipodial line contains generally cirrhi. The branchial plume is long. The narrow foot is long, pointed posteriorly, rounded before. Below it is divided longitudinally by a median groove. The rhomboidal jaws are covered with imbricating scales. The radula is rather short. The formula of teeth is typically ∞ 5.1.5 ∞, but sometimes lacks the median and outer lateral teeth.[4] Contrary to most spiral species, the two gills in Phasiannela are close together, so as to appear almost as one.[5]

Distribution edit

The species in this genus occur in the tropical Indo-West Pacific and off Australia.

Species edit

Species within the genus Phasianella include:[6]

Species brought into synonymy

References edit

  1. ^ a b Robertson R. (2010). "A true Phasianella from the Middle Miocene (Badenian) Central Paratethys of Romania (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda: Phasianellidae)". Archiv für Molluskenkunde 139(2): 247-253. doi:10.1127/arch.moll/1869-0963/139/247-253.
  2. ^ Lamarck (1804). Ann. Mus. H.N., Paris, 4(22): 295.
  3. ^ "IRMNG - Phasianella Lamarck, 1804". irmng.org. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  4. ^ G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
  5. ^ G.W. Tryon (1180) Manual of Conchology II, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
  6. ^ WoRMS (2009). Phasianella Lamarck, 1804. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=153557 on 4 January 2022
  7. ^ OBIS: Phasianella australis
  8. ^ a b c d Henry A. Pilsbry (1917), Marine Mollusks of Hawaii, I-III; Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Vol. 69, No. 2 (Apr. -Sep., 1917), pp. 207-230
  9. ^ OBIS: Phansianella ventricosa
  10. ^ OBIS: Phasianella wisemanni
  11. ^ OBIS: Phasianella caloundra
  • Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). ISBN 0-915826-22-4. XII, 195 pp.

External links edit