Rubyspira

Rubyspira
Shell of Rubyspira from São Paulo Ridge
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: incertae sedis
Superfamily: Abyssochrysoidea
Family: Rubyspiridae
Kaim, 2022
Genus: Rubyspira
Johnson, Warén, Lee, Kano, Kaim, Davis, Strong & Vrijenhoek, 2010[1]
Diversity[1]
2 species

Rubyspira is a genus of deep water sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs, the only genus in family Rubyspiridae[2] within the superfamily Abyssochrysoidea.[1]

Distribution

They are known from Monterey Bay, California.[1]

Species

Species within the genus Rubyspira include:

  • Rubyspira goffrediae Johnson, Warén, Lee, Kano, Kaim, Davis, Strong & Vrijenhoek, 2010[1]
  • Rubyspira osteovora Johnson, Warén, Lee, Kano, Kaim, Davis, Strong & Vrijenhoek, 2010 - type species of the genus Rubyspira[1]
  • Rubyspira from São Paulo Ridge (undescribed species)[3]

Ecology

They are specialized bone-eating snails on whale falls.[1] They were found on carcass of gray whale.[1] Their main food source are bones of whales.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Johnson S. B., Warén A., Lee R. W., Kano Y., Kaim A., Davis A., Strong E. E. & Vrijenhoek R. C. (2010). "Rubyspira, new genus and two new species of bone-eating deep-sea snails with ancient habits". The Biological Bulletin 219(2): 166-177. HTML.
  2. ^ =Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O, eds. (2026). "Rubyspiridae Kaim, 2022". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  3. ^ Sumida P. Y. G., Alfaro-Lucas J. M., Shimabukuro M., Kitazato H., Perez J. A. A., Soares-Gomes A., Toyofuku T., Lima A. O. S., Ara K. & Fujiwara Y. (2016). "Deep-sea whale fall fauna from the Atlantic resembles that of the Pacific Ocean". Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 22139. doi:10.1038/srep22139.