About Chrysomallon squamiferum

The scaly-foot gastropod Chrysomallon squamiferum is a species of deep-sea hydrothermal-vent snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Peltospiridae. This vent-endemic gastropod is known only from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean, where it has been found at depths of about 2,400–2,900 m. It differs greatly from other deep-sea gastropods, even the closely related neomphalines. It is widely distributed in the deep-sea hydrothermal vents of the Indian Ocean, which are around 2,780 metres in depth.

Animalia (Kingdom); Mollusca (Phylum); Gastropoda (Class); Vetigastropoda (Subclass); Neomphalida (Order); Neomphaloidea (Superfamily); Peltospiridae (Family); Chrysomallon (Genus); Chrysomallon squamiferum (Species)

Chrysomallon squamiferum C. Chen, K. Linse, Copley & A. D. Rogers, 2015

1. Chen C, Linse K, Copley J T, et al. The ‘scaly-foot gastropod’: a new genus and species of hydrothermal vent-endemic gastropod (Neomphalina: Peltospiridae) from the Indian Ocean[J]. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2015, 81(3): 322-334. (Chen et al., 2015)

Shell. Three whorls, globose with depressed spire, tightly coiled. Milky white, thin. Aperture ellip- tic, very large. Shape between neritiform and limpet-form. Surface sculptured with subtle, closely-spaced ribs. Fine growth lines present. Periostracum thick, brown, envelopes shell edge. Exterior often coated by a black layer of iron sulphide. Columellar region covered by thin callus. Average shell diameter 32 mm for adults (100 specimens), maximum shell diameter 45.5 mm. Protoconch not seen.

squamiferum (Latin) meaning scale-bearing, referring to the numerous hard sclerites covering the foot. Used as an adjective

Known from the following three hydrothermal vent fields in the Indian Ocean, found on active black smokers as well as on diffuse flow sites. Longqi vent field (37847.0270S 49838.9630E), SWIR, around 2,780 m depth; Kairei vent field (25819.239S, 70802.429E), Central Indian Ridge, depth 2,415 to 2,460 m (Van Dover et al., 2001); and Solitaire vent field (19833.413S, 65850.888E), Central Indian Ridge, depth 2,606 m (Nakamura et al., 2012).