Haminoea natalensis, common name the South African bubble snail, is a species of sea snail or bubble snail, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Haminoeidae, one of the families of bubble snails.
| Haminoea natalensis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Cephalaspidea |
| Family: | Haminoeidae |
| Genus: | Haminoea |
| Species: | H. natalensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Haminoea natalensis Bartsch, 1915
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Taxonomy
editThe species was first described by Paul Bartsch in 1915 [1]
Oskars and Malaquias 2020 [2] found that the original description of Haminoea natalensis shows a shell with longitudinal growth lines and a large anterior aperture, which is a close match to H. alfredensis. Due to this Oskars and Malaquias considered H. natalensis as a potential senior synonym of H. alfredensis. However, the authors refrained form synonymising the names due to the type shells of H. natalensis being lost, and due to the name of the name being mostly connected to Pacific haminoeids of the genus Haloa Pilsbry, 1921 mainly the species now known as Haloa wallisii.
The name of this species will be in question until it is properly revised.
The editors of World Register of Marine Species and Molluscabase has decided on considering Haminoea alfredensis a junior synonym of H. natalensis.
Distribution
editThe South African bubble shell is endemic to temperate waters off the coast of South Africa.[3]
Description
editHaminoea alfredensis has a length of 9–17 mm, and it has a broad radular ribbon with about 40 teeth in each half row. The color of this species is translucent green, dotted with yellow to orange spots.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Report on the Turton Collection of South African marine mollusks, with additional notes on other South African shells contained in the United States National Museum. Bulletin. United States National Museum. 91: xii + 305 pp., 54 plates".
- ^ Oskars, T.R. & Malaquias, M.A.E. (2022). Systematic revision of the Indo-West Pacific bubble-snails of the genus Haloa (Pilsbry, 1921) (Cephalaspidea: Haminoeidae). Invertebrate Systematics. 36(5): 436-492., available online at https://doi.org/10.1071/is21011 page(s): 453.
- ^ "The Sea Slug Forum - Haminoea alfredensis". 15 July 2010.
- ^ Gosliner, T.M. (1987) Nudibranchs of Southern Africa, a guide to the Opisthobranchs of southern Africa. Sea Challengers, Monterey. 136pp.
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