Neolepetopsidae is a

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 ...

of small deep sea sea snails or true limpets, marine gastropod

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 subclass

Patellogastropoda The Patellogastropoda, common name true limpets and historically called the Docoglossa, are members of a major phylogenetic group of marine gastropods, treated by experts either as a clade or as a taxonomic order. The clade Patellogastropoda is d ...

(according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). This family has no subfamilies.

Etymology

The name of the family Neolepetopsidae is composed of the prefix ''neo'', which means "new", and the word

Lepetopsidae Lepetopsidae is an extinct family of gastropods in the clade Patellogastropoda. This family has no subfamilies. Members of extant family Neolepetopsidae probably developed from Lepetopsidae. McLean J. H. (7 November 1990). "Neolepetopsidae, a ...

, which is the name of an extinct family of

true limpet The Patellogastropoda, common name true limpets and historically called the Docoglossa, are members of a major phylogenetic group of marine gastropods, treated by experts either as a clade or as a taxonomic order. The clade Patellogastropoda ...

s, from which the species within Neolepetopsidae probably evolved.

Taxonomy

Two Neolepetosidae species '' Eulepetopsis vitrea'' and '' Paralepetopsis floridensis'' were genetically analyzed by Harasewych & McArthur (2000),Harasewych M. G. & McArthur A. G. (2000). "A Molecular Phylogeny of the Patellogastropoda (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Eogastropoda)". ''Marine Biology'' 137(2): 183-194. http://hdl.handle.net/10088/4613 who confirmed placement of Neolepetopsidae within Acmaeoidea/

Lottioidea Lottioidea is a superfamily of sea snails or limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Patellogastropoda, the true limpets.MolluscaBase (2018). Lottioidea Gray, 1840. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marines ...

based on analysis of partial 18S rDNA. Neolepetopsidae belongs to superfamily Neolepetopsoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). Neolepetopsoidea was synonymized with

so Neolepetopsidae was moved to superfamily Lottioidea in

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialis ...

.Gofas, S. (2010). Patellogastropoda. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=382158 on 2010-04-01

Distribution

The distribution of the Neolepetopsidae includes the Northeastern

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

, the western Pacific ('' Paralepetopsis rosemariae'') and the

Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. In the North Atlantic, the ridge separates the North ...

Habitat

These limpets live in the

deep sea The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of 200 metres (656 feet) or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. Conditions within the deep sea are a combin ...

. Their habitat includes hydrothermal vents, whalebone ( baleen) and whale-fall habitats.McLean J. H. (2008)
"Three New Species of the Family Neolepetopsidae (Patellogastropoda) from Hydrothermal Vents and Whale Falls in the Northeastern Pacific"
''Journal of Shellfish Research'' 27(1): 15-20.
abstract

Genera

There are currently known 3 genera and altogether 12 species in Neolepetopsidae: * '' Neolepetopsis'' McLean, 1990 - type genus ** '' Neolepetopsis gordensis'' McLean, 1990 - type species ** '' Neolepetopsis densata'' McLean, 1990 ** '' Neolepetopsis nicolasensis'' McLean, 2008 - from whalebone ** '' Neolepetopsis verruca'' McLean, 1990 ** '' Neolepetopsis occulta'' McLean, 1990 * '' Eulepetopsis'' McLean, 1990 - monotypic genus ** '' Eulepetopsis vitrea'' McLean, 1990 * '' Paralepetopsis'' McLean, 1990 ** '' Paralepetopsis floridensis'' McLean 1990 - type species ** '' Paralepetopsis clementensis'' McLean, 2008 - from whalebone ** '' Paralepetopsis ferrugivora'' Warén & Bouchet, 2001Warén A. & Bouchet P. (2001). "Gastropoda and Monoplacophora from hydrothermal vents and seeps new taxa and records". ''The Veliger'' 44(2): 116-227. ** '' Paralepetopsis lepichoni'' Warén & Bouchet, 2001 - from Nankai Trench ** '' Paralepetopsis rosemariae'' Beck, 1996Beck L. (1996). "Morphology and anatomy of new species of neolepetopsid, acmaeid, fissurellid and pyropeltid limpets from Edison Seamount off Lihir Islands (West Pacific)". ''Archiv für Molluskenkunde'' 125: 87-103. ** '' Paralepetopsis sasakii'' Warén & Bouchet, 2009Warén A. & Bouchet P. (2009). "New gastropods from deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps off West Africa". ''Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography'' 56(23): 2326-2349. ** '' Paralepetopsis tunnicliffae'' McLean, 2008 - from hydrothermal vent

Etymology

Taxonomy

Distribution

Habitat

Genera

References

Further reading