Sigapatella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sigapatella |
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| Dorsal view of a shell of Sigapatella novaezelandiae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
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clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: |
Calyptraeoidea
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| Family: |
Calyptraeidae
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| Genus: |
Sigapatella
Lesson, 1831
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| Type species | |
| Sigapatella novaezelandiae Lesson, R.P., 1830 |
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| Species | |
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See text |
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| Synonyms | |
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Sigapatella is a group of small to medium-sized sea snails. These amazing creatures are a type of mollusc called a gastropod, which means "stomach-foot." They live in the ocean and belong to a family known as Calyptraeidae. This family includes interesting snails like slipper snails, Chinese hat snails, and cup-and-saucer snails.
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What is Sigapatella?
Scientists group living things into categories. This helps us understand how they are related. The group of snails called Sigapatella was first described by a scientist named Lesson in 1830.
At first, it was considered a smaller group within another snail type, Calyptraea. But later, in 1990, scientists like Beu and others decided it was different enough to be its own main group, or genus. This was confirmed again in 2000.
Shell Description
The shell of a Sigapatella snail is shaped like an oval. It has a special top part called the apex that is located to one side. Inside the shell, there is a plate that helps the snail attach itself. The edge of this plate is curved inward.
Types of Sigapatella Species
A species is a group of living things that can have babies together. Within the Sigapatella genus, there are many different species. Some of these species are still alive today, while others are extinct. An extinct species is one that no longer exists on Earth. We know about them from fossils.
The dagger symbol (†) next to a name means that species is extinct.
- † Sigapatella americana Ortmann 1900
- Sigapatella calyptraeformis (Lamarck)
- † Sigapatella crater (Finlay, 1926)
- † Sigapatella gigantea (Beu, 1970)
- Sigapatella hedleyi (Smith, 1915) (also known as Hedley's shelf limpet)
- † Sigapatella maccoyi (Suter, 1917)
- † Sigapatella mapalia Marwick, 1929
- Sigapatella novaezelandiae (Lesson, 1830)
- Sigapatella nukumaruana Marshall, 2003
- Sigapatella ohopeana Marshall, 2003
- † Sigapatella otamatea Laws, 1944
- † Sigapatella patulosa Powell and Bartrum, 1929
- † Sigapatella perampla (Powell & Bartrum, 1929)
- Sigapatella spadicea Boshier, 1961
- † Sigapatella subvaricosa Powell & Bartrum, 1929
- Sigapatella superstes Fleming, 1958
- Sigapatella tenuis (Gray, 1867)
- Sigapatella terraenovae (Peile, 1924)
- Sigapatella subvaricosa Powell and Partrum, 1929
- † Sigapatella vertex J. Marwick, 1926
- † Sigapatella (Spirogalerus) lamellaria (Finlay & Marwick, 1937) (This was once called Spirogalerus lamellaria)
Species Renamed Over Time
Sometimes, scientists discover that a species they thought was new is actually the same as one already named. When this happens, the older name is usually kept.
- Sigapatella maculata Suter, 1913 is now known to be the same as Sigapatella novaezelandiae (Lesson, 1830).
Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN: 0-00-216906-1
