Three new northeastern Pacific species of the deep-sea limpet family Neolepetopsidae are described. One (Paralepetopsis tunnicliffae) is from the hydrothermal vent habitat, and two (Paralepetopsis clementensis and Neolepetopsis nicolasensis) are from whale bone. This is the first record of the genus Paralepetopsis from the eastern Pacific, and the first record of the family from whale bone, in contrast to all previous records from hydrothermal vents and seeps. The family Neolepetopsidae joins the cocculiniform Pyropeltidae in its occurrence in the vent/seep habitat and the whale-fall habitat. Unlike the Pyropeltidae, in which species may occur in both the vent/seep and the whale-fall habitat, the two new neolepetopsid species in the whale-fall habitat are not the same as the species in the nearest vent/seep habitats.
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1 March 2008
Three New Species of the Family Neolepetopsidae (Patellogastropoda) from Hydrothermal Vents and Whale Falls in the Northeastern Pacific
James H. McLean
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Journal of Shellfish Research
Vol. 27 • No. 1
March 2008
Vol. 27 • No. 1
March 2008
hydrothermal vents
new species
northeastern Pacific Neolepetopsidae
whale-falls