ベッコウタマガイ (concealed lamellaria)

<em>Lamellaria latens</em>, commonly referred to as the Concealed Lamellaria, is a small marine gastropod mollusc in the family Lamellariidae, a group characterised by a greatly reduced or fully internal shell almost entirely covered by the mantle. This cryptic body plan gives the animal a slug-like appearance and inspired its common name, as the shell is effectively concealed beneath fleshy mantle tissue. Members of the genus Lamellaria are obligate ectoparasites or predators of colonial tunicates (sea squirts), which they consume by rasping tissue with a radula, making them unusual among gastropods in their dietary specialisation. <em>Lamellaria latens</em> has been recorded across coastal waters of Belgium, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, indicating a distribution along the northeastern Atlantic coast of Europe spanning boreal to warm-temperate zones. It typically inhabits subtidal and shallow sublittoral habitats associated with rocky substrates where compound ascidian colonies provide both food and cryptic shelter. The species has not been evaluated by the IUCN, so its conservation status remains unknown. Biological traits including body dimensions, lifespan, and reproductive biology remain poorly documented, reflecting the general scarcity of detailed ecological studies on this inconspicuous family of marine snails.