Eulimella Forbes & McAndrew, 1846

Pimenta, Alexandre Dias, Santos, Franklin Noel Dos & Absalão, Ricardo Silva, 2011, Taxonomic revision of the genus Eulimella (Gastropoda, Pyramidellidae) from Brazil, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 3063 (1), pp. 22-38 : 24

Genus Eulimella Forbes & McAndrew, 1846

Eulimella Forbes & McAndrew, 1846 [by err. typ. Erilimella ]. Type species by original designation: Eulima macandrei Forbes, 1844 = Melania scillae Scacchi, 1835 .

Diagnosis. Shell turriform, generally elongated, sometimes pupoid, glossy, usually white, in some cases with a spiral yellow band; sculpture absent, with spiral microsculpture, or consisting of growth lines, which appear as short microscopic axial threads organized in a spiral belt, commonly in middle of whorl and/or below the suture. Columella usually arcuate, sometimes with small fold. Protoconch heterostrophic planispiral or helicoid, of type A or B, forming an angle with teleoconch axis of 90 o to 135 o. .

Remarks. Within the Pyramidellidae , Eulimella has been classified at different taxonomic levels (genus or subgenus), and also sometimes included in different families or subfamilies. For example, Tryon (1886) considered Eulimella as a genus in the family Turbonillidae , whereas Dall and Bartsch (1904, 1909) considered Eulimella as a subgenus of Pyramidella . More recently, taxonomists agree in giving Eulimella full generic rank, but with different subfamilial allocations, depending on the classification scheme adopted. Schander (1994), Aartsen et al. (1998; 2000), and Peñas and Rolán (1999) did not subdivide Pyramidellidae into subfamilies, nor did they use subgeneric taxa, considering Eulimella sensu lato. Schander et al. (1999a) proposed a classification, elevating subfamily names to family level in the Pyramidelloidea , and included Eulimella in the family Turbonillidae , using the subfamily Eulimellinae , which was described by Saurin (1958). Bouchet and Rocroi (2005) used this classification, but the categories were downgraded one level, conservatively, i.e., Pyramidellidae was considered in a sensu lato, with Eulimella placed in the tribe Eulimellini , subfamily Turbonillinae . In the present contribution, we follow this classification, as well as Eulimella is used in sensu lato, without considering subgeneric allocations.

Schander et al. (1999a) included 19 generic names in Eulimellinae (= Eulimelini, according to Bouchet and Rocroi (2005)).Of those, only three are considered to occur at western Atlantic: Careliopsis Mörch, 1875 and Bacteridium Thiele, 1929 were revised by Pimenta and Absalão (2001b); and Eulimella . This genus is here taken at sensu lato, avoiding use of subgenera, a position adopted by the majority of authors (e.g. Aartsen, 1994; Aartsen et al. 1998; Peñas & Rolán, 1997). In such way, the diagnosis here stated for Eulimella inludes a certain degree of variation in some shell characters, such as spiral sculpture, columellar fold, color and protoconch. A possible restriction of the concept of Eulimella and clear definitions of the generic names in Eulimelini demands future phylogenetic studies based on anatomical or molecular data.