Relichna, Rudman, 1971

Valdés, Ángel, 2008, Deep-sea “ cephalaspidean ” heterobranchs (Gastropoda) from the tropical southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 587-792 : 754

Genus RELICHNA Rudman, 1971

Relichna Rudman, 1971 a: 187. Type species: Tornatina murdochi Suter, 1913 [Recent, New Zealand], by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS. — Shell morphology. Shell external, elongate, with an involute spire. Aperture longitudinal, normally as long as the shell, anteriorly rounded. Columella with a small fold. Operculum absent.

Anatomy. Headshield with 2 small posterior lobes. Digestive system with no jaws or radula. Gizzard with 3 unequal, smooth plates. Reproductive system monaulic.

REMARKS. — Rudman (1971a) described the genus Relichna for species of Retusidae with simple, smooth gizzard plates. He recognized the difficulties in the placement of this new genus, and opted for the Retusidae because of the absence of a radula.

The diagnosis of the genus above is based on the anatomical studies by Rudman (1971a) and the present work.