Leptoconchus is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, subfamily Coralliophilinae, the coral snails or coral shells.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Leptoconchus Rüppell, 1834. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=206175 on 2011-03-12
Description The thin shell is globosely pyriform, with a perforate axis. The umbilicus is partly concealed by the reflected inner lip. The spire is obtuse. The aperture is oblong, produced anteriorly into a wide subrecurved siphonal canal.
The mantle-margin is greatly thickened and fleshy. The tentacles are small, broad, and united at their bases. The eyes are small and black, on the outer side of the tentacles, near their tips. The foot is small, short, obtuse and rounded behind, with a thin, expanded, disk-like lobe in front, and the siphon is obsolete.
There is no operculum.Adams, H. & Adams, A. (1853-1858). The genera of Recent Mollusca; arranged according to their organization. London, van Voorst. Vol. 1: xl + 484 pp.; vol. 2: 661 pp.; vol. 3: 138 pls
Species The following species are currently accepted within Leptoconchus: † Leptoconchus costatus (Chenu, 1843) Leptoconchus cumingii MassDeshayes, 1863 Leptoconchus cyphastrae Massin, 1983 † Leptoconchus duvergieri (Cossmann & Peyrot, 1923) Leptoconchus ellipticus (G. B. Sowerby I, 1823) Leptoconchus expolitus (Shikama, 1963) Leptoconchus inactiniformis A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus inalbechi A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus incrassa A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus incycloseris A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus infungites A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus ingrandifungi A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus ingranulosa A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus inlimax A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus inpileus A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus inpleuractis A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus inscruposa A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus inscutaria A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 † Leptoconchus intalpina A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle, 1863 Leptoconchus lamarckii (Deshayes, 1863 Leptoconchus massini A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2011 Leptoconchus peronii (Lamarck, 1818) Leptoconchus solidiusculus (G. B. Sowerby II, 1872) Leptoconchus vangoethemi Massin, 1983 Taxa inquirenda Leptoconchus cuvieri Deshayes, 1863 Leptoconchus djedah (Chenu, 1843) Leptoconchus globulosus (G. B. Sowerby II, 1872) Leptoconchus maillardi Deshayes, 1863 Leptoconchus noumeae Risbec, 1953 Leptoconchus rostratus A. Adams, 1864 Leptoconchus ruppelii Deshayes, 1863 Leptoconchus serratus (G. B. Sowerby II, 1872) Leptoconchus tenuis (Chenu, 1843) Species brought into synonymy include Leptoconchus fimbriatus (A. Adams, 1852): synonym of Coralliophila fimbriata (A. Adams, 1852) Leptoconchus lamarkii Deshayes, 1863: synonym of Leptoconchus lamarckii Deshayes, 1863 (incorrect original spelling) Leptoconchus robillardi Liénard, 1870: synonym of Coralliophila robillardi (Liénard, 1870) Leptoconchus schrenkii Lischke, 1871: synonym of Leptoconchus peronii (Lamarck, 1818) Leptoconchus striatus Rüppell, 1835: synonym of Leptoconchus peronii (Lamarck, 1818)
References
Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp Oliverio M. (2008) Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific. In: V. Héros, R.H. Cowie & P. Bouchet (eds), Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos 25. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 196: 481–585. page(s): 557
External links
Rüppell E. (1835 ["1834"]). Description of a new genus of pectinibranchiated gasteropodous Mollusca (Leptoconchus). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 2: 105-106. Sowerby, G. B., III. (1919). Notes on Magilus and its allies, substituting the generic name Magilopsis for Leptoconchus lamarcki, Deshayes. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 13(3-4): 75-77 Deshayes, G. P. (1863). Catalogue des mollusques de l'île de la Réunion (Bourbon). Pp. 1-144. In Maillard, L. (Ed.) Notes sur l'Ile de la Réunion. Dentu, Paris A. & Gittenberger E. (2011) Cryptic, adaptive radiation of endoparasitic snails: sibling species of Leptoconchus (Gastropoda: Coralliophilidae) in corals. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 11: 21-41