Pneumodermatidae

Taxobox
name = Pneumodermatidae
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Opisthobranchia
subordo = Gymnosomata
familia = Pneumodermatidae
familia_authority = (Latreille, 1825)
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision =
* "Pneumoderma"
* "Pneumodermopsis"
* "Schizobrachium"
* "Spongiobranchaea"
* "Abranchaea"
* "Platybrachium"

Pneumodermatidae is a family of sea angels, or small floating predatory sea snails or sea slugs. They are pelagic marine heterobranch opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the order Gymnosomata.

These small pelagic snails lack a shell (except in their early embryonic stage). They are carnivores, equipped with swimming parapoda (fleshy, winglike outgrowths), strong jaws and grasping tentacles, often with suckers resembling those of Cephalopods.

A more comprehensive discussion can be found under the entry sea angel.

Genera and species within the family Pneumodermatidae

Genus: "Pneumoderma" de Roissy, 1805

* "Pneumoderma atlanticum" Oken, 1815
* "Pneumoderma degraaffi" van der Spoel & Pafort-van Iersel, 1982
** Distribution: Sargasso Sea, Oceanic
** Length: 11.8 mm
* "Pneumoderma mediterraneum" van Beneden, 1838
** Distribution: Florida, Brazil, Mediterranean, Oceanic
** Length: 20 mm
* "Pneumoderma peronii" Lamarck, 1819
** Distribution: Red Sea
* "Pneumoderma violaceum" d'Orbigny, 1836
** Distribution: Bermuda, Oceanic
** Length: 25 mm
** Description: This pteropod grabs its prey with two powerful suckers, each with about 30 suctorial disks. Then it bulges out its long proboscis.
** Subspecies:
*** "Pneumoderma violaceum pacificum" Dall, 1871
*** "Pneumoderma violaceum violaceum" d'Orbigny, 1836

Genus: "Pneumodermopsis" Keferstein, 1862

* "Pneumodermopsis canephora" Pruvot-Fol, 1924
* "Pneumodermopsis ciliata" (Gegenbaur, 1855)
** Distribution: circumglobal, Oceanic
** Description: possesses five tentacles, each ending in a big suctorial disk.
* "Pneumodermopsis macrochira" Meisenheimer, 1905
** Distribution: Oceanic
* "Pneumodermopsis michaelsarsi" Bonnevie, 1913
** Distribution: Bermuda, Oceanic
* "Pneumodermopsis oligocotyla" Massy, 1917
* "Pneumodermopsis paucidens" (Boas, 1886)
** Distribution: Brazil, Oceanic
** Length: 5 mm
* "Pneumodermopsis pupula" Pruvot-Fol, 1926
* "Pneumodermopsis spoeli" Newman & greenwood, 1988
** Distriburion: Australia
* "Pneumodermopsis teschi" van der Spoel, 1973
** Distribution: Oceanic

Genus "Schizobrachium" Meisenheimer, 1903

* "Schizobrachium polycotylum" Meisenheimer, 1903
** Distribution: Oceanic

Genus "Spongiobranchaea" d'Orbigny, 1836

* "Spongiobranchaea australis" d'Orbigny, 1836
** Distribution: Argentina, Australia, sub-Antarctic, Antarctica, Oceanic
** Length: 22 mm
* "Spongiobranchaea intermedia" Pruvot-Fol, 1926
** Distribution: Oceanic

Genus "Abranchaea" Zhan Fu-Sui, 1975

* "Abranchaea chinensis" Zhan Fu-Sui, 1975

Genus "Platybrachium" Minichev, 1976

References