Skip to main content

Pseudolepetodrilus costaricensis, Bathyacmaea, Paralepetopsis and Cocculina from Costa Rica geothermal vents

Pseudolepetodrilus costaricensis, Bathyacmaea, Paralepetopsis and Cocculina from Costa Rica geothermal vents

NEWS - The researchers established three new species and one new genus: Lisa Levin deep-sea limpet (Bathyacmaea levinae), confuse true limpet (Paralepetopsis variabilis), methane deep-sea limpet (Cocculina methane) and Costa Rica false hydrothermal vent limpet (Pseudolepetodrilus costaricensis gen. et sp. nov).

Chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps, host unique, diverse and continuously emerging life forms. The researchers highlighted the unique gastropod fauna and the biodiversity of chemosynthesis-based deep-sea ecosystems.

Limpets were collected from Pacific Costa Rica Margin hydrocarbon seeps during three cruises from 2017 to 2019. Genetic and morphological analyses revealed species in the genera Bathyacmaea Okutani, Tsuchida & Fujikura (1992), Paralepetopsis McLean (1990), Cocculina Dall (1882) and the family Lepetodrilidae McLean (1988).

B. levinae was collected from the Jaco Scar and Quepos Seep hydrocarbon seeps in the Pacific Costa Rica Margin. Samples were taken from mussels and tubeworms at depths of 1400-1890 meters. Named after Dr. Lisa A. Levin of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography for her contributions to deep-sea knowledge, especially hydrocarbon seeps.

B. levinae was diagnosed by its flat and serrated radular teeth, tall and conical shell with no obvious axial carvings. The sample is the only Bathyacmaea species known from the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

P. variabilis was collected from the Jaco Scar, Quepos Seep, Mound 11 and Mound 12 hydrocarbon seeps in the Pacific Costa Rica Margin. Samples were taken from shellfish, tubeworms and rocks at depths of 995-1860 meters. Specimens were also recovered and genetically characterized from the Pescadero Basin hydrocarbon seeps collected by the ROV Tiburon at a depth of 2000 meters.

P. variabilis is diagnosed by its oval, white and semi-transparent shell that exhibits fine radial growth rings. The species also exhibits two short head tentacles (not extending beyond the outer shell edge) that are located low on the head. The soft tissue is yellowish white.

However, the most reliable means of diagnosis is through DNA characterization, as the morphology is highly variable within this species and overlaps with other known species in the genus.

P. costaricensis was confirmed from the Jaco Scar hydrocarbon seep in the Pacific Costa Rica Margin. Samples were taken from tubeworms at a depth of 1760 meters. The generic name means false Lepetodrilus (pseudo), given its physical resemblance to species of the genus Lepetodrilus.

The species epithet costaricensis refers to the Pacific Costa Rica Margin, where the species and genus were first discovered. P. costaricensis was diagnosed by the unique “wing” shaped first major lateral tooth on the radula and by genetic characterization of the mitochondrial CO1 gene.

C. methane from the Quepos Seep, Mound 12, Jaco Scar and Mound Jaguar hydrocarbon seeps in the Pacific Costa Rica Margin. Samples were taken from shells, wood, tubeworms and bones at depths of 1408-2000 meters. This species is among the deepest known Cocculina.

The species epithet methane refers to the hydrocarbon seep. This habitat type is important, as all other known Cocculina species occur in inactive hydrothermal vents or organic waterfalls. C. methane is diagnosed by its golden brown periostracum and is distinguished from C. japonica by its mitochondrial CO1 barcoding.

Original research

Betters MJ, Cortés J, Cordes EE (2024). New species and records of limpets (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from the Pacific Costa Rica Margin. ZooKeys 1214: 281-324, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1214.128594

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Laniger bat tick (Ixodes lanigeri), new hard tick species (Ixodidae) from mouse-eared bats (Myotis) in Vietnam

NEWS - Researchers have identified Ixodes ticks from Vietnam based on morphological and molecular characteristics of females, nymphs and larvae as a new species, laniger bat tick ( Ixodes lanigeri ), which like other members of the Ixodes ariadnae complex appears to show a preference for vesper bats as a typical host. Historically, for more than a century and a half, only one species has been called the “long-legged bat tick”: Ixodes vespertilionis Koch. However, over the past decade, it has been molecularly recognized that long-legged ixodid ticks associated with bats may represent at least six species. Host associations and geographic separation may explain the evolutionary divergence of the new species from its closest living relative Murina hilgendorfi Peters in East Asia, Japan, as no Myotis or Murina spp. have overlapping distributions between Vietnam and the Japanese mainland. On the other hand, assuming that I. lanigeri may be present in other myotine bats and knowing that s...
Read more

Pundak scoliid (Scolia clypeata)

Pundak scoliid ( Scolia clypeata ) is an animal species in Scoliidae, arboreal insects, elongated body, blackish blue wings, round head, long legs, spending time perched on leaves in the shade in the bush, medium-sized trees in the forest and agricultural land. S. clypeata has a round, red head and a pair of large black eyes on the face. A pair of large antennae, red, jointed, black base and blunt tip. The neck is narrow and black. The back is dark brown and rough. The front shoulders on the right and left sides have a red plot color. The stomach is cylindrical, elongated, with long hair, droplet-shaped tips and shiny black color. A pair of elongated wings with multiple veins, rounded tips, blackish blue and shiny, piled together to cover the entire abdomen at rest. The legs are several joints and have long hair. Pundak scoliid live in forests or agricultural fields, spending much of their time perched on leaves in low shrubs or medium-sized trees, in shade and more solitary. King...
Read more

Pink jewel dragonfly (Heliocypha fenestrata)

Pink jewel dragonfly ( Heliocypha fenestrata ) is an animal species in Chlorocyphidae, a dragonfly 40-45mm long, slender, predominantly black with bright pink and blue, flies swiftly, large eyes, very long wings, lives near fresh flowing water and waterways. H. fenestrata has a black body with an upper back decorated with three plots of squares in pink and a similar plot on the nape of the top. The sides to the bottom are decorated with plots in light blue. A pair of large, round and black eyes. The tail is long and segmented, cylindrical, predominantly black with several plots of light blue color at the base of the sides, the tip ends with two small tails and curves inward. The legs are jointed and are all black. The wings have a span of up to 80 mm, contain many pulse lines, elliptical tips, are dark and transparent, when exposed to sunlight they give off pink or green or blue or white reflections. Pink jewel dragonfly lives near freshwater ecosystems that flow and low light inten...
Read more