Pterotrachea is a taxonomic genus of medium-sized to large floating sea slugs, marine pelagic gastropod molluscs in the family Pterotracheidae, which is in the infraorder Littorinimorpha. As such they are quite closely related to such families as the tritons (Ranellidae) and the tun shells (Tonnidae).
These pelagic slugs are not at all closely related to the pelagic opisthobranch gastropods such as the sea angels and sea butterflies.
Species Species within the genus Pterotrachea include: Pterotrachea coronata Forskål, 1775 Pterotrachea hippocampus Philippi, 1836 Pterotrachea keraudrenii J. E. Gray, 1850 Pterotrachea minuta Pterotrachea scutata Gegenbaur, 1855 Taxon inquirendum Pterotrachea talismani Vayssière, 1902
References
Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
External links Niebuhr C. (ed.) (1775). Descriptiones animalium avium, amphibiorum, piscium, insectorum, vermium quae in itinere orientali observavit Petrus Forskål, prof. Haun., post mortem auctoris edidit Carsten Niebuhr. Hauniae [Copengagen], Möller, pp. 1–19 + i-xxxiv + 1-164, 1 ma Tree of Life: Pterotrachea