Peraclis philiporum (Gilmer, 1990b)
[dubious species]
Overview
This is a pelagic snail with a left coiled shell, 0.8 cm high; it has 4 whorls and a deep suture without radial crests. The spire is depressed. There is no keel and no aperture tooth. The aperture is elongate, the base of the aperture is pointed towards the rostrum. The shell surface shows a regular pattern of strong transverse sculpture lines. The wings are fused into a swimming plate. This species usually lives at great depths in the Atlantic Ocean (Peraclis philiporum from dorsal).
Taxonomic Description
Shell sinistrally coiled, body resembling Corolla. The shell is calcareous, thin brown coloured, with 4 whorls. The spire is depressed. There are growth lines parallel to the aperture over the whole shell (Peraclis philiporum). The aperture is broad and elongate without a sharply pointed rostrum. The columellar membrane is reduced. The shell is surrounded by a voluminous gelatinous pseudoconch. The pseudoconch is oval, with a broad, oval aperture. The wing-plate is gelatinous, oval, highly patterned with muscles, transparent at margins but becoming thick and light brown near the centre. The proboscis extends at an 90° angle to the wingplate. There are dark coloured cillary tracks around the mouth. The anterior tentacles are equal and unsheathed. The wing-plate has a distinct median lobe. The operculum is absent.
Diameter of the swimming plate is 20.2 mm, pseudoconch length is 11.3 mm, shell height is 7.5, mm and maximum width is 4.5 mm
Juveniles
The juveniles have a small left coiled shell. A special description is not available.
Reproduction
This form is a protandric hermaphrodite.
Ecology
This form is phytophagous.
Distribution
It is found only from its the type locality in the N-Atlantic.
Types
Procymbulia philiporum Gilmer, 1990: 112, figs. 1-12.
Holotype u.s. USNM 860550 preserved in alcohol.
Type locality: Bahamas 26°14.76'N 77°43.46'W, depth 902 m, 23.00 hr, 3 November, 1989. temperature 6.7°C.
Etymology: the name is given in honour of Dr. Philip Pugh and Mr. Philip Santos who collected the specimen.