| abapical | pointing away from the apex along the axis. |
| abyssal | sea bed at 4000-6000m depth. |
| abyssopelagic | Pelagic phase at 4000-6000m depth |
| adapical | pointing towards the apex along the axis. |
| aff. or affinis | The term affinis (or sp. aff = species affinis) is used when the identity of a distinct biological species is unknown but it has a striking similarity or close relation with a known species |
| alate | winged, having alae. |
| ANSP | Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. |
| anterior | pointing away from the apex |
| apex | The tip of the gastropods spire, the part of the gastropod where it began to grow. |
| bathyal | Sea bed at 1000-4000m depth, same as "continental rise" |
| bathypelagic | Pelagic phase 1000-4000m depth |
| bicarinate | with two spiral keels. |
| BM(NH) | British Museum (Natural History), now The Natural History Museum London |
| carinate | with a spiral keel. |
| CAS | California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco |
| cf. | (Latin for confer = compares with) is used in similar papers to indicate that the specimen resembles the named species very closely, but has certain minor features not found on the type specimens. |
| clastic | Sediments composed of mechanical breakdown of rocks, such as mud, sand and gravel. I Geology: rocks composed clastic sediments, such as sandstone. |
| continental shelf | to edge of continental slope (normally about 200m). |
| continental slope | Sea bed from 200-1000m depth |
| cyronym | valid name. |
| deposit feeder | animal feeding on bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus by filtering sediment. |
| dorsal | towards the back of the shell or the mollusc animal, opposite: ventral. |
| epifaunal | living above the sediment. |
| epipelagic | Pelagic phase above shelf break (200m depth) |
| fathom | 1 fathom = 1.8288 meters. |
| feet | 1 feet = 0.3048 meters. |
| FMNH | Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago |
| GPIH | Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Hamburg. |
| GPIB | Geologisches-Paläontologisches Institut Bonn, Germany; old terminology. new: IPB |
| hadal | Sea bed below 6000m depth |
| hadopelagic | Pelagic phase below 6000m depth |
| holotype | The holotype is that single specimen, which is the basis for the description and the naming of a species. |
| IGUT | Institute of Geoscience, University of Tsukuba. |
| infaunal | living in the sediment. A hint for an infaunal life could be the ratio of naticid to muricid borings. Most Naticids attack their prey infaunally, Muricids epifaunally. |
| infralittoral fringe | The fringe between the low tide level and the subtidal |
| intertidal | Between spring high and low tide marks |
| IPB | Steinmann-Institut, Dep. Paleontology, Bonn |
| IRScNB | L’Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. |
| lectotype | The lectotype is a specimen choosen from a series of syntypes as an equivalent to the holotype. |
| mesopelagic | Pelagic phase from 200-1000m depth |
| MHNG | Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Genève |
| MIGiG | Paleontological Museum of United Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineralogy, Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk |
| MJSN | Musée jurassien des sciences naturelles, Jardin Botanique, Porrentruy |
| (type species by) monotypy | is when in the original description of a genus only one species is mentioned which should be attributed to that particular new genus, but no statement is made whether there are more species to be allocated to that new genus, or a statement such as (e.g.): Aporrhais quatorcarinata belongs to this new genus. |
| MNHN | Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris |
| NHMW | Naturhistorisches Museum Wien |
| nomen nudum | (Latin for "naked name") A scientific name without a description. More: see Wikipedia |
| NRM | Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet in Stockholm |
| NSMT | stands for National Science Museum Tokyo |
| NMB | stands for Naturhistorisches Museum Basel |
| operculum | (pl. opercula) in stromboidean shells: a horny plate, attached dorsally to the foot. It serves the mollusc to close the aperture after withdrawing into the shell. In Strombidae, it is used sometimes during locomotion. |
| (type species by) original designation | is that the type species was designated in the original publication where the genus was described, and the type species was explicitely stated as being the type species. |
| paratype | Paratypes are specimens that the author of a new species used and cited for the description and naming, other than the holotype. |
| pelagic | Use only if more specific depth information is lacking. |
| posterior | pointing towards the apex |
| protoconch | Shell of the gastropod embryo or larval stadium, becomes later the apex. |
| SAM | South African Museum in Cape Town, South Africa. |
| SGO.PI. | Departamento de Paleontologý´a de Invertebrados, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santiago, Chile |
| shallow subtidal | Sea bed from low tide mark to 5m depth |
| siliclastic | (siliciclastic) Sediments composed of non-carbonate rocks, such as quartz or other silicates. |
| s.l. | sensu lato (latin) = in a broad sense. |
| SMF | Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt |
| s.s. | sensu stricto (latin) = in a narrow sense. |
| subtidal | Sea bed from 5-20m depth |
| supratidal | Above the high tide mark |
| (type species by) subsequent designation | is comparable to a lectotype. In the original description an author says (e.g.) "To this new genus the following species belong: Aporrhais quatorcarinata , A. tridentata, A. monodactylus and A. pentacostata." In this statement, no species is designated as being the type species, and either of the formentioned four species is eligible as type species. Any designation of a type species after the original description [in another publication that is] is a subsequent designation. |
| suspension feeder | animal feeding on bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus by filtering water |
| syntype | Syntypes are those specimens that an author used as basis to describe and name a new species and where he did not choose a holotype. |
| taxon | a group or category of living or fossil organisms. Example: species, genus, family, ... |
| UCMP | University of California Museum of Paleontology (Berkeley) |
| ventral | underside of the shell (where the aperture is), opposite: dorsal |
| ZMA | Zoologisches Museum Amsterdam |
| ZMB | Zoologisches Museum Berlin |
| ZPAL | Polish Academy of Sciences in Warszawa |
