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Neritimorpha
Subclass of gastropods From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Neritimorpha is a clade of gastropod molluscs that contains around 2,000 extant species of sea snails, limpets, freshwater snails, land snails and slugs.[1] This clade used to be known as the superorder Neritopsina.
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Etymology
The clade’s name, Neritimorpha, is from the Ancient Greek νηρίτης (nērī́tēs 'Nerite') and μορφή (morphḗ 'form').[2]
Description
Despite their relatively low diversity, with only around 2,000 species, neritomorphs have achieved a remarkable diversity of forms, resembling a smaller-scale version of the diversity achieved by Gastropoda as a whole.[3] Terrestrial lifestyles have evolved at least three separate occasions in neritimorphs: the extinct Dawsonellidae and the extant Helicinidae and Hydrocenidae.[4] Neritimorphs also include the shellless, slug-like Titiscania.[3]
In all modern neritomorphs except neritopsids, the inner walls of the protoconch are resorbed.[5]
Unlike most other gastropods, neritomorphs typically have calcified opercula. There is no operculum in the shellless Titiscania, and the Phenacolepadidae have a vestigial, non-calcified operculum that shows no postlarval growth.[6]
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Evolutionary history
Neritimorpha has an extremely rich geologic history, going back to early Ordovician.[5] This clade has been considered to be a leftover of early gastropod diversification.
Neritimorpha is the sister taxon of the Apogastropoda.[7][8] The clade uniting neritimorphs and apogastropods has been called either Adenogonogastropoda[9] or Angiogastropoda.[7]
All modern members of Neritimorpha are classified in the order Cycloneritimorpha.[5] Neritopsoidea was the first of the four modern neritomorph superfamilies to diverge from the others.[4]
1997 taxonomy
According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Ponder & Lindberg, 1997) Neritopsina is a gastropod superorder in the subclass Orthogastropoda. The superfamily Palaeotrochoidea is contained within Neritopsina but its order placement is undetermined.
2005 taxonomy
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005[10] categorizes Neritimorpha as a gastropod mollusk clade. It is one of the 6 highest clades in Gastropoda. It contains the clades Cyrtoneritimorpha, Cycloneritimorpha, as well as Paleozoic Neritimorpha of uncertain position.
Clades (and uncertain position taxa) in Neritimorpha include:
- † Paleozoic Neritimorpha of uncertain position
- † clade Cyrtoneritimorpha
- clade Cycloneritimorpha
Four extant superfamilies are recognised: Helicinoidea, Hydrocenoidea, Neritoidea and Neritopsoidea.
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In human society
Nerite snails are popular in the aquarium trade.[11]
References
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