POSTER (abstract)
" The Mediterranean species of the genus Pyrunculus Pilsbry, 1895, (Cephalaspidea, Retusidae) " The genus Pyrunculus Pilsbry, 1895 [nomen novum pro Sao H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854, non Bilberg, 1820, nec Barrande, 1846] is characterised by a small bubble-shell, more or less pear-like, and gizzard plates with two blunt knobs. Four Mediterranean species - Pyrunculus fourierii (Audouin, 1826) [Bulla], Pyrunculus hoernesii (Weinkauff, 1866) [Bulla] [= Cylichna cuneata Tiberi, 1868], Pyrunculus obesiusculus (Brugnone, 1877) [Cylichna], Pyrunculus ovatus (Jeffreys, 1871) [Cylichna Cylichna] -are included in the genus and are herein examined, with notes on gizzard plates and shell morphology.P. fourierii is a Lessepsian migrant species, presently widespread in the Levant Sea, as well as in the whole Indo-West Pacific. Despite its shell morphology is Retusa-like - the species is in fact usually included in Retusa T. Brown, 1827 - the gizzard plates are typical of T. Brown, 1827 - the gizzard plates are typical of T. Brown, 1827 - the gizzard plates are typical of Pyrunculus. This fact shows how shell characters may be misleading in order to distinguish members of Pyrunculus and Retusa. Pyrunculus hoernesii is a Mediterranean species whose known range extends at least to the Mauritanian coasts. Shells of P. obesiusculus, and Pyrunculus ovatus are closely similar. They are still not known with living specimens for the Mediterranean, whereas actually inhabit the Atlantic waters. Utriculus minutissimus Monterosato, 1878, frequently included in Pynunculus in the recent Mediterranean litterature, is actually a member of Retusa.
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