Chrysallidini

Chrysallidinae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Orthogastropoda
Order:	Heterostropha
Superfamily:	Pyramidelloidea
Family:	Pyramidellidae
Subfamily:	Chrysallidinae Saurin, 1958
Genera
See text.

Chrysallidinae is a taxonomic group of very small sea snails, one of eleven recognized subfamilies of the gastropod family Pyramidellidae (according to the taxonomy of Ponder & Lindberg 1997). (The other 10 subfamilies are Odostomiinae, Turbonillinae, Cingulininae, Cyclostremellinae, Sayellinae, Syrnolinae, Eulimellinae, Pyramidellinae, Odostomellinae and Tiberiinae.)

However, in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), this subfamily has been downgraded to the rank of tribe Chrysallidini Saurin, 1958 in the subfamily Pyramidellinae Gray, 1840 .

According to Schander, Van Aartsen & Corgan (1999) there are 47 genera in this subfamily, four additional genera may also be a part of this taxon.

Genera in the subfamily Chrysallidinae

• Chrysallida Carpenter, 1856 (Type genus)
• Babella Dall, & Bartsch, 1906
• Bartrumella Laws, 1940
• Besla Dall & Bartsch, 1904
• Boonea Robertson, 1978
• Egila Dall, & Bartsch, 1904
• Euparthenia Thiele, 1929
• Eupyrgulina Melvill, 1910
• Eurathea Laseron, 1959
• Evalina Dall & Bartsch, 1904
• Fargoa Bartsch, 1955
• Folinella Dall, & Bartsch, 1904
• Gurmatia Dance & Eames, 1966
• Haldra Dall, & Bartsch, 1904
• Hinemoa Oliver, 1915
• Iolaea A. Adams, 1867
• Ivara Dall & Bartsch in Arnold, 1903
• Kleinella A. Adams, 1860
• Laseronella Whitley, 1959
• Levipyrgulina Laws, 1941
• Linopyrga Laws, 1941
• Menesthella Nomura, 1939
• Menestho Möller, 1842
• Miralda A. Adams 1863
• Miraldella Bartsch, 1955
• Monotygma J. E. Gray, 1847
• Mumiola A. Adams, 1863
• Numaegilina Nomura, 1938
• Oscilla A. Adams, 1861
• Parthenina Bucquoy, Dauzenberg & Dollfus, 1883
• Partulida Schafuss, 1869
• Perparthenina Nordsieck, 1972
• Polemicella Saurin, 1959
• Prestonella Saurin, 1958
• Pseudoscilla Boettger, 1901
• Pukeuria Laws, 1941
• Pyrgulina A. Adams, 1863b
• Quirella Laseron, 1959
• Ravnostomia Adegoke, 1977
• Salassia De Folin, 1870
• Salassiella Dall & Bartsch, 1909
• Siogamaia Nomura, 1936
• Standeniella Saurin, 1958
• Strioturbonilla Sacco, 1892
• Trabecula Monterosato, 1884
• Tragula Monterosato, 1884
• Waikura Marwick, 1931

Genera likely to reside in the subfamily Chrysallidinae

• Raulinia Mayer, 1864
• Rugadentia Laseron, 1951
• Stylopyramis Thiele, 1929
• Taphrostomia Cossmann, 1921

Distribution

This family is found worldwide, from the tropics to the Arctic.

Shell description

The shell of these snails has a blunt, heterostrophic protoconch, which is often wrapped up. The texture of these shells is sculptured in various forms such as ribs and spirals. Their color is mostly white, cream or yellowish. The teleoconch is dextrally coiled, but the larval shells are sinistral. This results in a sinistrally coiled protoconch. The columella has one, spiral fold. The aperture is closed by an operculum.

Life habits

The Chrysallidinae are ectoparasites, feeding mainly on other molluscs and on annelid worms.

They do not have a radula. Instead their long proboscis is used to pierce the skin of its prey and suck up its fluids and soft tissues. The eyes on the grooved tentacles are situated toward the base of the tentacles. Between the head and the foot, a lobed process called the mentum ( = thin projection) is visible.

These molluscs are hermaphrodites, laying eggs in jelly-like masses on the shell of its host.

References

• Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P. (2005). "Classification and Nomenclator of Gastropod Families". Malacologia. 47 (1–2): 1–397.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Ponder, W.F. & Lindberg, D. R. (1997). "Towards a phylogeny of gastropod molluscs: an analysis using morphological characters". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 119: 88–265.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Saurin, E. (1958). "Pyramidellidae de Pho-Hai (Sud Viet-Nam)". Annales de la Faculté des Sciences de Saigon. 35: 63–86.
• Schander, C., van Aartsen, J. J., Corgan, J. C. (1999). "Families and genera of the Pyramidelloidea (Mollusca: Gastropoda)". Bollettino Malacologico. 34 (9–12): 145–166.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)