''Amblychilepas'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.

Distribution

The species from this genus can be found in temperate waters of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, except ''Amblychilepas platyactis'' that is found along the Atlantic coast of the

Cape Peninsula The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of ...

, South Africa.

Description

''Amblychilepas'' is closely associated with ''

Dendrofissurella ''Dendrofissurella'' is a monotypic genus of minute deepwater keyhole limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets. Taxonomy ''Dendrofissurella scutellum'' is the sole species in this ge ...

'' and ''

Medusafissurella ''Medusafissurella'' is a genus of minute deepwater keyhole limpets, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2012). Medusafissurella McLean & Kilburn, 19 ...

'' with which it shares

radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...

r and shell characters. The body of species in this genus is larger than the shell. The anterior part of the oval shell is narrower than the rest. Both ends of the shell are somewhat raised. The sculpture of the shell shows fine radial ribs. The upper mantle fold only slightly envelops the edge of the shell. The apical opening (''foramen'') is elongate-oval and situated almost in the center. Long papillae extend from the mantle towards the foramen, as in ''A. nigrita''. The foot extends behind the shell with a length larger than the shell. Contrary to ''

'' and ''

'', the foremost part of the foot (''propodium'') is unmodified. The large outer lateral tooth of the

is quadricuspid ( = with four cusps).

Species

Species within the genus ''Amblychilepas'' include: * ''

Amblychilepas javanicensis ''Amblychilepas javanicensis'', common name the rayed keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Description The size of the shell varies between 20 mm and 31&nb ...

'' ( Lamarck, 1822): type species. * ''

Amblychilepas nigrita ''Amblychilepas nigrita'', common name the black keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Description The size of the shell varies between 10 mm and 25 mm ...

'' ( Sowerby, 1834) * ''

Amblychilepas platyactis ''Amblychilepas platyactis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Description The size of this species varies between 11 mm and 25 mm. Distribution This marine speci ...

'' McLean & Lilburn, 1986 The Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database also mentions the following species with names in current use * ''

Amblychilepas compressa ''Amblychilepas'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Distribution The species from this genus can be found in temperate waters of Australia, except ''Amblychilepas platyactis'' t ...

'' (

Thiele Thiele is a German-language surname. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 78.0% of all known bearers of the surname ''Thiele'' were residents of Germany, 10.9% of the United States, 2.3% of Australia, 2.0% of Brazil, 1.0% of Canada and 1.0% of Sou ...

, 1930) * ''

Amblychilepas crucis ''Amblychilepas'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Distribution The species from this genus can be found in temperate waters of Australia, except ''Amblychilepas platyactis'' t ...

'' (Beddome, 1882) * ''

Amblychilepas oblonga ''Amblychilepas'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Distribution The species from this genus can be found in temperate waters of Australia, except ''Amblychilepas platyactis'' t ...

'' (Menke, 1843) * ''

Amblychilepas omicron ''Amblychilepas'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Distribution The species from this genus can be found in temperate waters of Australia, except ''Amblychilepas platyactis'' t ...

'' (Crosse & Fisher, 1864) ;Species brought into synonymy: * ''Amblychilepas dubia'' (

Reeve Reeve may refer to: Titles *Reeve (Canada), an elected chief executive of some counties, townships, and equivalents *Reeve (England), an official elected annually by the serfs to supervise lands for a lord *High-reeve, a title taken by some Englis ...

, 1849): synonym of ''

Medusafissurella dubia ''Medusafissurella dubia'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. Description The shell size varies between 16 mm and 36 mm Distribution This species is distributed in ...

'' (

, 1849) * ''Amblychilepas pritchardi'' Hedley, C., 1895: synonym of ''

'' ( Sowerby, 1834) * ''Amblychilepas scutella'' (

Gmelin Gmelin may refer to: * Gmelin's test, a chemical test * Gmelin database, a German handbook/encyclopedia of inorganic compounds initiated by Leopold Gmelin People * Carl Christian Gmelin (1762–1837), German botanist, author of ''Flora Badensis ...

, 1791): synonym of ''

Dendrofissurella scutellum ''Dendrofissurella'' is a monotypic genus of minute deepwater keyhole limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets. Taxonomy ''Dendrofissurella scutellum'' is the sole species in this g ...

References

* Vaught, K.C. (1989). ''A classification of the living Mollusca.'' American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp.

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q4741554 Fissurellidae