Scutus

Scutus is a genus of large sea snails or limpets with the common name "shield shells". These are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets and slit limpets.^[1]

Scutus
a live Scutus sinensis
Dorsal view of a shell of Scutus breviculus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Vetigastropoda
Order:	Lepetellida
Family:	Fissurellidae
Subfamily:	Emarginulinae
Genus:	Scutus Blainville, 1817
Type species
Scutus antipodes Montfort, 1810
Synonyms[1]
Aviscutum Iredale, 1940 Nannoscutum Iredale, 1937 Parmophorus Blainville, 1817 (unnecessary substitute name for Scutus) Scutum P. Fischer, 1885 (invalid: unjustified emendation of Scutus) Scutus (Aviscutum) Iredale, 1940

A live individual

Both the common name and the scientific name reflect the fact that the shells of species in this genus resemble a Roman shield.

Description

The animal itself has a large black mantle which usually completely covers the shell, giving the animal a superficially slug-like appearance.

Species

Species within the genus Scutus include:^[2]

• Scutus anatinus (Donovan, 1820)
• Scutus antipodes Montfort, 1810 -
• † Scutus bellardii Michelotti, 1847
• Scutus breviculus Blainville, 1817
• Scutus emarginatus (Philippi, 1851)
• Scutus forsythi (Iredale, 1937)
• Scutus howensis Iredale, 1940
• † Scutus mirus Gard, 2020
• Scutus olunguis Iredale, 1940
• † Scutus petrafixus Finlay, 1930
• † Scutus pliopunctatus Lozano-Francisco & Vera-Peláez, 2002
• Scutus rueppelli (Philippi, 1851)
• Scutus scapha (J.F. Gmelin, 1791) ^[3]
• Scutus sinensis (Blainville, 1825)
• Scutus unguis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Scutus virgo Habe, 1951

Species brought into synonymy

• Scutus ambiguus (Dillwyn, 1817): synonym of Scutus anatinus (Donovan, 1820)
• Scutus angustatus A. Adams, 1851: synonym of Scutus unguis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Scutus astrolabeus Hedley, 1917: synonym of Scutus anatinus (Donovan, 1820)
• Scutus australis (Lamarck, 1822): synonym of Scutus anatinus (Donovan, 1820)
• Scutus corrugatus (Reeve, 1842): synonym of Scutus unguis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Scutus elongatus (Blainville, 1817): synonym of Scutus antipodes Montfort, 1810
• Scutus granulatus (Blainville, 1819): synonym of Scutus unguis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Scutus parunguis Iredale, 1940: synonym of Scutus unguis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Scutus savignyi Pallary, 1926: synonym of Scutus rueppeli (Philippi, 1851)
• Scutus veitchi (Cotton, 1953): synonym of Scutus antipodes Montfort, 1810