Zeidora bigelowi is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, commonly known as keyhole limpets.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by the Cuban malacologist Isabel Pérez Farfante in 1947. The type specimen is held at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. The specific epithet bigelowi honors the American oceanographer Henry Bryant Bigelow.
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Gastropoda
- Subclass: Vetigastropoda
- Order: Lepetellida
- Superfamily: Fissurelloidea
- Family: Fissurellidae
- Subfamily: Zeidorinae
- Genus: Zeidora
Description
The shell of Zeidora bigelowi attains a length of approximately 2.5 mm and a height of about 1 mm. The maximum recorded length is 0.5 cm (shell dimension). The species exhibits dextrally coiled body symmetry and a mineralized skeleton composed of calcium carbonate.
Distribution and Habitat
This marine species is found in the Western Central Atlantic, with documented occurrences off the coast of Cuba at depths between 320 m and 420 m. Broader depth records range from 33 m to 411 m. It inhabits marine benthic environments in tropical waters.
Ecology
Zeidora bigelowi is a sessile prey feeder, meaning it preys on organisms that lack self-locomotion. It moves via mucus-mediated gliding. Reproduction is sexual. Members of the order Lepetellida are typically gonochoric (separate sexes) and broadcast spawners, with embryos developing into planktonic trochophore larvae and later into juvenile veligers.
Conservation Status
The species has not been evaluated by the IUCN Red List and has no CITES or CMS status.
