Thylacodes — Thylacodus — Tulaxodus: Worm-Snail Name Confusion and the Status ofSerpulorbis(Gastropoda: Vermetidae)

Abstract

in the worm-snail family Vermetidae, a large group of species (of still doubtful monophyly) is characterized by the absence of an operculum, the horny structure enabling other vermetids to fully or partially close the opening of the attached shell tube. such species were traditionally described and grouped in the nominal genera serpulorbis, lementina, or Thylacodes (or variant forms of these names). disputed authorships, numerous subsequent emendations, and conflicting type designations created a very complex situation, made worse by the introduction of similar sounding names such as Thylacodus and Thylaeodus for related, but not synonymous, taxa. with increasing involvement and mention of these vermetids in a wide range of biological studies, ranging from recent and fossil diversity assessments to gene order research (e.g., rawlings et al., 2001), taxonomic cleanup is urgently needed and the following note attempts to disentangle the confused situation.