''Coriocella'' 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 ...

of small slug-like

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 ...

mollusc 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 esti ...

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 ...

Velutinidae Velutinidae is a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha.Gofas, S. (2014). Velutinidae Gray, 1840. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetail ...

.Bouchet, P. (2011). Coriocella Blainville, 1824. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=456342 on 2011-06-17

Description

The ear-shaped shell is extremely thin, even membranous in part and concealed in the

mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...

. It has a small spiral turn at the apex. The

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An opt ...

is very large. The shell lacks a columella. The soft body is elliptical and much depressed. The borders of the mantle are very thin, notched in front and spreading out widely. The oval foot is very small. The head is scarcely distinct. The two short and rather thick

tentacle In zoology, a tentacle is a flexible, mobile, and elongated organ present in some species of animals, most of them invertebrates. In animal anatomy, tentacles usually occur in one or more pairs. Anatomically, the tentacles of animals work main ...

s are contractile and concealed under the shield. The eyes are situated at the base of the tentacles.Macgillivray, William, History of the molluscous animals of Scotland, London, 1844
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Species

Species within the genus ''Coriocella'' include: *'' Coriocella fella'' Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970 * '' Coriocella herberti'' Drivas & Jay, 1990 *''

Coriocella hibyae ''Coriocella hibyae'', common name the Hiby's coriocella or the velvet snail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Velutinidae. Description Although it has a shell, the shell is hidden within folds of the mantle, ...

'' Wellens, 1991 *'' Coriocella jayi'' Wellens, 1995 *''

Coriocella nigra ''Coriocella nigra'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Velutinidae. An Indo-Pacific species, it lives on rocks at depths of up to 15 m. It is up to 10 cm long and has an internal shell; body color is black o ...

'' Blainville, 1824 - type species of the genus ''Coriocella'' *'' Coriocella safagae'' Wellens, 1999 *'' Coriocella tongana'' ( Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)

References

External links

Blainville, H. M. D. de. (1824). Mollusques, Mollusca. In: Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles (F. Cuvier, ed.), vol. 32. Levrault, Strasbourg et Paris, & Le Normant, Paris. 1-392
Velutinidae {{Velutinidae-stub