Levinaespira georgesnyderi gen. et sp. nov., a New Deep-Sea Snail (Gastropoda: Neomphalidae) from Eastern Pacific Methane Seeps.

Deep-sea methane seeps host diverse and abundant animal communities, including an extensive undescribed diversity of small cryptic invertebrates. We describe a new genus and species of neomphalid snail, Levinaespira georgesnyderi gen. et sp. nov., from the Mound 12 methane seep at 1000 m depth on the Pacific margin of Costa Rica, and we report a closely related singleton specimen from the Hydrate Ridge seep off Oregon, USA, at ca. 600 m depth. Molecular phylogenies based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the complete mitochondrial genome support the placement of the new genus within Neomphalidae (Gastropoda: Neomphalida), a group originally described from hydrothermal vents. Levinaespira georgesnyderi gen. et sp. nov. is separated from species in other described genera by at least 15.2% COI distance. It is morphologically distinctive in having lateral projections on the anterior foot, a lobe-shaped right cephalic lappet, and bilaterally symmetric cephalic tentacles without obvious reproductive modifications. This species represents the first genetically confirmed record of Neomphalidae at methane seeps and the shallowest known occurrence of this group at any environment. The new genus is named in honor of Professor Emerita Lisa Levin and the new species is named in memory of Collection Manager H. George Snyder (1931-1990) for their contributions to deep-sea invertebrate biology.