Loricella Pilsbry, 1893

Sirenko, Boris, 2021, Composition of the genus Loricella (Mollusca: Polyplacophora: Loricidae) and the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4981 (2), pp. 275-300 : 276

Genus Loricella Pilsbry, 1893

Type species. Lorica angasi H. Adams in H. Adams & Angas, 1864, by monotypy.

Synonyms. Pseudoloricella Ashby, 1925: 198 ; Componochiton Milne, 1963: 25 ; Sinolorica Xu, 1990: 376 .

Genus distribution. Sagami Bay and Omurodashi Bank ( Japan), South of East China Sea , north of South China Sea , Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga Islands , New Caledonia, South and East Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand, intertidal– 772 m. Miocene–Recent .

The inclusion of the genus Squamophora Nierstrasz, 1905 as a junior synonym of the genus Loricella ( Van Belle 1978, 1983) led to a confusion of generic characters of Loricella . The restoration of the genus Squamophora ( Sirenko 2021) makes an emendation of the diagnosis of the genus Loricella necessary:

Diagnosis. Small to large sized, ovoid and broadened anteriorly; head valve large about more than twice as wide as tail valve, intermediate valves short and wide, tail valve with sinus and usually several indistinct slits, mucro terminal. Tegmentum of all species except for old specimens of L. angasi has numerous pits, which are arranged mainly in radial rows on the head valve and lateral areas and in longitudinal rows on central areas. There is a row of larger and deeper pits on each diagonal between central and lateral areas of the tegmentum in deep-water species. Pores of aesthetes are numerous on surface of tegmentum between the pits. The jugal plate is usually well developed and often separated from the apophyses by a notch, on the intermediate valves it is wide, and on the tale valve it is narrow, tooth-shaped. Slit formula 8–20/1–(rare 2)/sinus +2–8 obsolete. Narrow mantle fold and wide head. Posterior slit in girdle is present or absent. Girdle, dorsally covered with small scales with tubular hollow and rare tufts of bristles. The tufts are located on the perinotum closer to the outer margin. There are rare single scattered bristles. The hyponotum scales are elongate, rectangular and smooth. There are 14–27 gills on each side arranged from valve II or III to valve VII or VIII. Radula 1.6–4.1 mm long with 28–45 transverse rows of mature teeth in chitons of BL 9.0–26.0 mm. Central tooth of radula short, bulbous, first lateral tooth slender, with small cusp at top, head of major lateral tooth bicuspid, major uncinal tooth with rather wide blade.