Environmental influences upon the expression of shell form in Rissoa parva (da Costa). [Gastropoda: Prosobranchia]

The classification of the Rissoidae has been, and continues to be, based largely upon shell characters. In a group of small animals of variable form this has resulted in a state of considerable taxonomic confusion. Ponder (1965, 1967, 1968), in his works on the New Zealand Rissoidae, attempted to cl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1975-05, Vol.55 (2), p.425-438
Main Author: Wigham, G. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The classification of the Rissoidae has been, and continues to be, based largely upon shell characters. In a group of small animals of variable form this has resulted in a state of considerable taxonomic confusion. Ponder (1965, 1967, 1968), in his works on the New Zealand Rissoidae, attempted to clarify, what he termed, the existing ‘pigeon-hole classification’ in the light of more detailed anatomical investigation. He observed (Ponder, 1967) that ‘many wrong assumptions can be drawn from the study of the shell alone’. In an earlier work Johansson (1939) had also tried to relate the taxonomy of the Rissoidae to anatomical features.
ISSN:0025-3154
1469-7769
DOI:10.1017/S0025315400016040