''Latia'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of very small, air-breathing
freshwater snails or
limpets,
aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily
Chilinoidea.
''Latia'' is the only genus in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Latiidae.
Species in this genus are the only freshwater
bioluminescent molluscs in the world.
[BERNARD J. BOWDEN (1950)]
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON A LUMINESCENT FRESHWATER LIMPET FROM NEW ZEALAND
. ''Biol Bull'' 99: 373-380.
Taxonomy
The family Latiidae has been classified within the superfamily
Chilinoidea, itself belonging to the
clade Hygrophila within the informal group
Basommatophora in the informal group
Pulmonata (according to the
taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
There are no subfamilies in the family Latiidae (according to the
taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
''Latia'' is the only genus in the family Latiidae, in other words Latiidae is a
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
family and ''Latia'' is the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal ...
of the family Latiidae. This genus was previously placed instead in a larger family of freshwater limpets, the
Ancylidae
Ancylini is a tribe of small, freshwater, air-breathing limpets, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails and their allies. This tribe used to be treated as a family; the current taxonomic placemen ...
.
Distribution
This genus is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to the
North Island of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Habitat
This genus lives in clean running streams and rivers.
Shell description
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
** Thin-shell structure
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard o ...
is ancyliform, with the
apex
The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to:
Arts and media Fictional entities
* Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe
* Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe
*Apex, ...
marginal, and situated at the left posterior side, incurved, small.
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 ...
is very large, oval. The margin of the aperture is thin and sharp; posteriorly with a narrow, thin, concave lamina, its right edge bent down and free, forming a thin and sharp-edged vertical lamella.
Anatomy
This genus is remarkable by the absence of a jaw.
Animal has eyes at the outer bases of the tentacles. The foot is elongated oval. The pulmonary cavity, its opening on the right side. Visceral commissure is long. There is no jaw. Central tooth of
radula is bicuspidate, laterals are unicuspidate and marginals are tricuspidate.
Life habits
These freshwater limpets are capable of secreting a
bioluminescent substance when disturbed.
Theories vary as to the purpose of the bioluminescence, but indicate it is a defence mechanism. One theory is that when disturbed by a predator, ''Latia'' release the bioluminescent slime, and the predator chases the light rather than the snail. Another theory is that the slime will attach to the predator causing confusion and alarm, or indeed, making the predator vulnerable and visible to other nocturnal predators.
As the ''Latia'' release the slime when feeling threatened, it is conceivable ''Latia'' could be used as a monitor for illegal pollution dumping
or other water quality issues.
Species
Species in the genus ''Latia'' include:
* ''
Latia climoi''
Starobogatov, 1986 - the type species
* ''
Latia lateralis''
(Gould, 1852)
* † ''
Latia manuherikia''
Marshall, 2011 - from the Early–Middle
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
[Marshall B. A. (2011). "A new species of ''Latia'' Gray, 1850 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Hygrophila: Chilinoidea: Latiidae) from Miocene Palaeo-lake Manuherikia, southern New Zealand, and biogeographic implications". '']Molluscan Research
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 est ...
'' 31(1): 47-52
abstract
* ''
Latia neritoides
''Latia neritoides'' is a species of small freshwater snail or limpet, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Latiidae.
The type specimen is in the British Museum.
The specific epithet "neritoides" means "like a nerite". The shell of ...
''
Gray, 1850
Notes
References
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference
[ Suter H. (1913)]
''Manual of the New Zealand Mollusca''
Wellington. pages 615-616.
* Marshall, B.A. (2011). ''A new species of Latia Gray, 1850 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Hygrophila: Chilinoidea: Latiidae) from Miocene palaeo-lake Manuherikia, southern New Zealand, and biogeographic implications''. Molluscan Research 31 (1): 47–52.
External links
Radio interview with scientist Stella McQueen discussing ''Latia''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q150661
Bioluminescent molluscs
Taxa named by John Edward Gray