Compressidens Pilsbry & Sharp, 1897

Caetano, Carlos Henrique Soares, Scarabino, Victor & Absalão, Ricardo Silva, 2006, Scaphopoda (Mollusca) from the Brazilian continental shelf and upper slope (13 º to 21 ºS) with descriptions of two new species of the genus Cadulus Philippi, 1844, Zootaxa 1267, pp. 1-47 : 42

Compressidens Pilsbry & Sharp, 1897

Type species

Dentalium pressum Pilsbry & Sharp, 1897 (original designation).

Diagnosis

Shell small to medium, well curved, solid, translucent, opaque or polished. Section oval, strongly compressed dorsoventrally. Sculpture variable, with longitudinal riblets, undulations or fine, close encircling wrinkles; growth lines conspicuous. Apex simple or truncate, preapical callus usually wide, lumen circular.

Remarks

According to Scarabino (1995), the genus Compressidens shows confusing characters that do not allow placement in the present classifications, specially the dorsoventrally compressed shell. This genus comprises about nine species (Steiner & Kabat 2004) and it was firstly included within Gadilida (Watson 1879; Pilsbry & Sharp 1897; Emerson 1962) and also among Dentaliida (Henderson 1920; Palmer 1974). Subsequent radular study (Kraeuter 1972) confirmed it to belong to Gadilida . At the family level, the controversy still remains with systematic arrangements including this genus in Siphonodentaliidae (Emerson 1962; Kraeuter 1972), Pulsellidae (Scarabino 1994) and more recently as incertae sedis (Scarabino 1995; Steiner & Kabat 2001).