GASTROPODA Cuvier, 1795

Vinarski, Maxim V., Palatov, Dmitry M. & Glöer, Peter, 2014, Revision of ‘ Horatia’ snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae sensu lato) from South Caucasus with description of two new genera, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 48 (37 - 38), pp. 2237-2253 : 2243-2245

Class GASTROPODA Cuvier, 1795

Clade LITTORINOMORPHA Golikov et Starobogatov, 1975 Superfamily RISSOOIDEA Gray, 1847

Family HYDROBIIDAE Simpson, 1865 (sensu lato) Subfamily BELGRANDIINAE Di Stefani, 1877 Genus Pontohoratia gen. nov.

Type species: Horatia birsteini Starobogatov, 1962

Diagnosis

Shell small (up to 2.0 mm in height), ovate-conical (valvatoid) to semi-planispiral, with relatively large angular aperture. Whorls (up to 4.0) convex, separated by a deep suture. Surface of protoconch covered by irregular honeycomb-like pits of variable density. Surface of teleoconch covered by thin and dense growth lines. Umbilicus deep and wide, funnel-like. Operculum unknown. Penis slender, elongated, slightly swollen in its middle part. Penial lobes or outgrowths absent.

Etymology

The name is derived from ‘Pontos Euxeinos’ (‘Hospitable Sea’) – an ancient Greek name for the Black Sea, and Horatia – the generic name previously applied to the species of this genus. Gender – female.

Differential diagnosis

Conchologically, the species of Pontohoratia are similar to species belonging to the genus Horatia sensu Bodon et al. (2001) but differ from the latter by simple penis without penial lobe(s).

Distribution and species content

The genus is endemic for South Caucasus (Transcaucasia) and includes two species: P. birsteini ( Starobogatov, 1962) and P. smyri sp.nov.