Polemicella Schander, Van Aartsen & Corgan 1999

Polemicella is a small genus of very small sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Odostomiidae.^[1]

Nomenclature

The name Polemicella is not available from Saurin (Annales de la Faculté des Sciences de Saïgon, (1959): 242), who did not explicitly designated a type species ("doubtful OD" according to Schander et al.) ^[1]

Shell description

The original description by Laseron (1959) (in French) states that the genus was introduced for forms of the near Pyrgulina polemica: short shell with graduated, streamlined or angled whorls on the periphery. It is sculpted with axial ribs and with a single spiral on periphery. There is sometimes a spiral towards the summit of the whorls. Pyrgulina mellvilli is also a representative typical of this genus.

Life history

Nothing is known about the biology of the members of this genus. As is true of most members of the Pyramidellidae sensu lato, they are most likely to be ectoparasites.

Species

Species within the genus Polemicella include:

• Polemicella aartseni Robba, Di Geronimo, Chaimanee, Negri & Sanfilippo, 2003
• Polemicella dautzenbergi (Melvill, 1910)
• Polemicella piscatorum Saurin, 1959
• Polemicella polemica (Melvill, 1910) (type species) (as Pyrgulina polemica)
• Polemicella saurini Robba, Di Geronimo, Chaimanee, Negri & Sanfilippo, 2003

References

• Saurin, E. (1959). "Pyramidellidae de Nha-Trang (Vietnam)". Annales de la Faculté des Sciences de Saigon. 1959: 223–283, pl. 1–6.
• Schander C., van Aartsen J.J. & Corgan J.C. (1999). Families and genera of the Pyramidelloidea (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bollettino Malacologico 34 (9-12): 145–166 page(s): 150

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