Liratomina

{{Short description|Genus of gastropods}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2025}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{fossil range|Oligocene|late Pliocene}} | image = Liratomina adelaidensis MA71012-a.jpg | image_caption = Holotype of ''Liratomina adelaidensis'' | taxon = Liratomina | authority = Powell, 1942 | type_species = † ''Bela sculptilis'' }}

'''''Liratomina''''' is a genus of minute gastropod molluscs belonging to the superfamily Conoidea, currently unassigned to a family.<ref name="WoRMS">{{WRMS species|1636840|''Liratomina'' A. W. B. Powell, 1944||11 December 2025}}</ref> The genus is a fossil taxon, known to occur between the Oligocene and the late Pliocene, in fossil beds in Australia.

==Description==

In 1944, Powell described the genus as follows:

{{blockquote|Moderately large, fusiform-turreted shells with crisp spiral and axial sculpture, the spirals predominant, Protoconch large, smooth and rounded, of 1{{fract|1|2}} whorls, followed by a half-whorl of closely spaced, fine brephic axials. Post-nuclear whorls are rounded, with a concave shoulder, but no subsutural fold. There is superficial resemblance to both ''Belophos'' and ''Austrotoma'', but the protoconchs are quite dissimilar.<ref>{{Cite Q|Q58676624}}</ref>}}

Members of the genus range in size between {{cvt|30 and 35|mm}} in height.<ref>{{cite Q|Q136806872}}</ref> ''Liratomina'' and ''Belatomina'' can be differentiated due to differences in teleoconches and the presence of a paucispiral protoconch in ''Liratomina''.<ref>{{cite Q|Q56195002}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==

The genus was first described by A. W. B. Powell in 1942, after Powell identified that ''Bela sculptilis'' (now known as ''Liratomina sculptilis'') had unique features separating it from its previously assigned genus.<ref name="Q115110377">{{cite Q|Q115110377|pp=72}}</ref> The genus was placed in the order Neogastropoda by Jack Sepkoski in posthumous work published in 2002.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698415 |last1= Sepkoski |first1= J. John Jr. |author-link1=Jack Sepkoski |year= 2002 |title= A compendium of fossil marine animal genera |journal=Bulletins of American Paleontology |volume=363 |publisher= Paleontological Research Institution |place= Ithaca, NY|pages=103 |isbn=978-0-87710-450-6}}</ref>

==Distribution==

''Liratomina'' fossils have been found in the Eucla Basin, Otway Basin, and St Vincent Basin of Australia, and date to between the Oligocene and the late Pliocene.<ref name="Blom">{{cite Q|Q135397912}}</ref><ref>{{cite Q|Q136396722}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=11279 |title=†Liratomina (snail) |website=Paleobiology Database |access-date=11 December 2025}}</ref>

==Species== Species within the genus ''Liratomina'' include:<ref name="WoRMS"/>

* † ''Liratomina adelaidensis'' {{small|A. W. B. Powell, 1944}} * † ''Liratomina crassilirata'' {{small|(Tate, 1888)}} * † ''Liratomina sculptilis'' {{small|(Tate, 1888)}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Conoidea Category:Miocene gastropods of Australia Category:Oligocene gastropods of Australia Category:Pliocene gastropods of Australia Category:Neogene animals of Australia Category:Prehistoric gastropod genera Category:Fossil taxa described in 1942 Category:Taxa named by Arthur William Baden Powell Category:Otway Basin fauna Category:St Vincent Basin fauna