Family OMNIGLYPTIDAE

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

This relatively small family is represented by a single extant genus, Omniglypta and, in the Australian fauna, by two species (Lamprell & Healy 1998).

The shells are glossy, thin and slender, and sometimes may be tinged with orange to brown colouration. The superior edge of the rachidian tooth is irregularly denticulate while the marginals are curved (Boss 1982; Steiner & Palmer 1998). The shell is immediately recognisable by its raised, closely spaced annulations near the apex (annulations becoming more obscure and widely spaced towards the aperture) and absence of longitudinal ribbing or striae (Palmer 1974; Steiner 1992; Lamprell & Healy 1998).

In the Australian fossil record the family is represented by Plagioglypta numerosa Yoo from the lower Carboniferous of New South Wales, if Steiner's (1992) assignment of Plagioglypta to the Omniglyptidae is accepted. However, Yoo (1988) originally included P. numerosa in the Laevidentaliidae and most recently, Scarabino (1995) placed Plagioglyptus in the Dentaliidae, on the basis of radula features. The presence of strong, raised annulations and apparent absence of any apical slit or longitudinal sculpture in the Tertiary (Victorian Pliocene) species Dentalium (Episiphon) tornatissimum Tate, suggest that it too may be referable to the Omniglyptidae.

General References

Boss, K.J. 1982. Mollusca. pp. 945-1166 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Book Company Vol. 1. [1165]

Lamprell, K.L. & Healy, J.M. 1998. A revision of the Scaphopoda from Australian waters (Mollusca). Records of the Australian Museum Suppl. 24: 1-189

Palmer, C.P. 1974. A supraspecific classification of the scaphopod Mollusca. Veliger 17: 115-123

Scarabino, V. 1995. Scaphopoda of the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, with description of 3 new genera and 42 new species. In Bouchet, P. (ed.) Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM. Vol 14. Mém. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris 167: 189–379.

Steiner, G. 1992. Phylogeny and classification of Scaphopoda. Journal of Molluscan Studies 58: 385-400

Steiner, G. & Palmer, C.P. 1998. Scaphopoda. pp. 431-450 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part A) pp. xvi, 1-563.

Yoo, E.K. 1988. Early Carboniferous Mollusca from Gundy, Upper Hunter, New South Wales. Records of the Australian Museum 40: 233-264

History of changes