Emarginulinae
Encyclopedia
The subfamily Emarginulinae, common name
keyhole limpets and slit limpets, is a taxonomic subfamily of limpet
-like sea snail
s, marine
gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.
The subfamily consists of the following tribes:
Of the two subfamilies in Fissurellidae, the subfamily Emarginulinae is the oldest: its earliest known species date back to the Mesozoic
.
The various tribes belong to this subfamily because of the unifying features in their radula
. Several tribes were formerly accepted as subfamilies, because of the differences in their shell. The Emargulini have a caplike shell with a slit in the margin but without an apical opening (foramen). The Scutini have a flat shield-shaped shell with a vague indentation at the back. The other tribes have a caplike shell with a round, oval or triangular apical opening.
The species of this subfamily can be found attached to rocks or coral. They are vegetarians.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
keyhole limpets and slit limpets, is a taxonomic subfamily of limpet
Limpet
Limpet is a common name for a number of different kinds of saltwater and freshwater snails ; it is applied to those snails that have a simple shell which is more or less conical in shape, and either is not spirally coiled, or appears not to be coiled in the adult snails.The name limpet is most...
-like sea snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s, marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.
The subfamily consists of the following tribes:
- Tribe Emarginulini Children, 1834 - synonyms: Rimulidae, Anton, 1838; Zeidoridae Naef, 1913; Hemitominae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971; Clypidinidae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1989
- Tribe Diodorini Odhner, 1932
- Tribe Fissurellideini Pilsbry, 1890
- Tribe Scutini Christiaens, 1973
Of the two subfamilies in Fissurellidae, the subfamily Emarginulinae is the oldest: its earliest known species date back to the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
.
The various tribes belong to this subfamily because of the unifying features in their radula
Radula
The radula is an anatomical structure that is used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared rather inaccurately to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the esophagus...
. Several tribes were formerly accepted as subfamilies, because of the differences in their shell. The Emargulini have a caplike shell with a slit in the margin but without an apical opening (foramen). The Scutini have a flat shield-shaped shell with a vague indentation at the back. The other tribes have a caplike shell with a round, oval or triangular apical opening.
The species of this subfamily can be found attached to rocks or coral. They are vegetarians.