Lactiforis, Golding, Rosemary E., Ponder, Winston F. & Byrne, Maria, 2007

Golding, Rosemary E., Ponder, Winston F. & Byrne, Maria, 2007, Taxonomy and anatomy of Amphiboloidea (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Archaeopulmonata), Zootaxa 1476, pp. 1-50 : 14-15

Genus Lactiforis gen. nov.

Type species Lactiforis tropicalis sp. nov.

Etymology: Lacteus (Latin—milk-white) and foris (Latin—door), in reference to the distinctive white patch on the operculum of this genus.

Diagnosis: Shell diameter to 7 mm, fragile, either white or pale grey, sometimes with spiral brown bands; last whorl rounded, lacking shoulder, with short conical spire; umbilicus wide, lacking umbilical fold; aperture with flattened, indented sinus in upper 1/3 of aperture. Operculum thin, pale yellow, mainly corneous with large, white, fan-shaped deposit around eccentric, paucispiral nucleus on internal surface of operculum. Head and foot unpigmented in formalin-preserved specimens. Opposed ciliary tracts in mantle cavity short and restricted to exhalant canal; hypobranchial gland oval, flat, white in formalin-preserved specimens, positioned in exhalant canal; mantle roof slightly vascularised. Radula lacking differentiated central and lateral teeth; marginal teeth long, narrow, unicuspid with recurved tip. Central nervous system euthyneurous, cerebral and pleural ganglia fused, presence of parapedal and subcerebral commissures not confirmed; visceral loop of central nervous system condensed, visceral ganglion closer to right parietal ganglion than left, connectives narrow; right parietal ganglion larger than left, accessory ganglion absent. Seminal vesicle diverticulum from upper hermaphrodite duct; seminal receptacle at carrefour lined with black pigment. Spermovipositor short, aperture thickened, fused proximally to spermovipositor sheath forming narrow ridge; spermovipositor with simple conical microsculpture. Large muscular ridge on left interior of spermovipositor sheath. Prostatic gland long, blind-ending tube, either uniform for entire length or with scarlet pigment at proximal end. Egg mass unknown.

Remarks: The type species and Lactiforis takii ( Kuroda, 1928) , the latter previously included in Salinator , are separated from Salinator by several distinctive features such as the presence of a distinctive white, fan-shaped deposit on the internal surface of the operculum, which is visible externally. Further anatomical and radular differences include the absence of central or lateral radular teeth, a simple spermovipositor lacking flanges or projections and a muscular ridge near the aperture of the spermovipositor sheath.