Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Spiralia
Cladus: Lophotrochozoa
Phylum: Mollusca
Classis: Gastropoda
Subclassis: Heterobranchia
Infraclassis: Euthyneura
Cohors: Tectipleura
Subcohors: Panpulmonata
Superordo: Hygrophila
Superfamilia: Chilinoidea
Familia: Latiidae
Genus: Latia
Species (4): L. neritoides – ?L. climoi – ?L. lateralis – †L. manuherikia
[source: Marshall (2011)]
Name
Latia Gray, 1850
Synonyms
Pelex Gould, 1852
References
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. Abstract Reference page.
Starobogatov, Ya.I. 1986: On the taxonomy of the gastropod molluscan genus Latia (Gastropoda Pulmonata Latiidae). Trudy Zoologicheskogo Instituta, 148: 93–96.
Latia is a genus of very small, air-breathing freshwater snails or limpets, aquatic pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Chilinoidea.[5]
Latia is the only genus in the family Latiidae.
Species in this genus are the only freshwater bioluminescent molluscs in the world.[6]
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).[5]
There are no subfamilies in the family Latiidae (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).[5]
Latia is the only genus in the family Latiidae, in other words Latiidae is a monotypic family and Latia is the type genus of the family Latiidae. This genus was previously placed instead in a larger family of freshwater limpets, the Ancylidae.
Distribution
This genus is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand.
Habitat
This genus lives in clean running streams and rivers.[7]
Shell description
Shell is ancyliform, with the apex marginal, and situated at the left posterior side, incurved, small.[8]
Aperture 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.[8]
Anatomy
This genus is remarkable by the absence of a jaw.[8]
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.[8]
Life habits
These freshwater limpets are capable of secreting a bioluminescent substance when disturbed.[6] 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.[9][10] As the Latia release the slime when feeling threatened, it is conceivable Latia could be used as a monitor for illegal pollution dumping[10] or other water quality issues.
Species
Species in the genus Latia include:
Latia climoi Starobogatov, 1986
Latia lateralis (Gould, 1852)
† Latia manuherikia Marshall, 2011 - from the Early–Middle Miocene[4]
Latia neritoides Gray, 1850 - type species (type by monotypy)
Notes
Gray's paper was read on 11 December 1949, and presumably not published until 1850 notwithstanding the date of the journal.
References
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference[8]
Hutton F. W. (1882). Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 14: 156.
Gray, J. E., Esq. (1849). "Description of a new Genus and Several New Species of Terrestrial, Fluviatile and Marine Molluscous Animals Inhabiting New Zealand". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 17: 164 at 168.
Strong E. E., Gargominy O., Ponder W. F. & Bouchet P. (2008). "Global Diversity of Gastropods (Gastropoda; Mollusca) in Freshwater". Hydrobiologia 595: 149-166. hdl:10088/7390 doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9012-6.
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. abstract.
Bouchet, Philippe; Rocroi, Jean-Pierre; Frýda, Jiri; Hausdorf, Bernard; Ponder, Winston; Valdés, Ángel & Warén, Anders (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". Malacologia. 47 (1–2). Hackenheim, Germany: ConchBooks: 1–397. ISBN 3-925919-72-4. ISSN 0076-2997.
BERNARD J. BOWDEN (1950). SOME OBSERVATIONS ON A LUMINESCENT FRESHWATER LIMPET FROM NEW ZEALAND Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine. Biol Bull 99: 373-380.
Powell A. W. B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand, ISBN 0-00-216906-1.
Suter H. (1913). Manual of the New Zealand Mollusca. Wellington. pages 615-616.
"Underwater Life - Macroinvertibrates - More Information". (Formerly Waitakere City Council) Auckland City Council. 2011. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
"School Water Monitoring Project - Latia - the brightest freshwater invertebrate in the world". National Waterways Project - The Royal Society of New Zealand. October 3, 2006. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
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.
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