petulentus

Petulentus is a fictional genus used in taxonomy education and in some speculative fiction to illustrate the conventions of genus and species naming. It is not recognized by current taxonomic databases and has no official standing in scientific nomenclature.

In illustrative uses, Petulentus is placed in the phylum Mollusca and class Gastropoda. The hypothetical species most commonly associated with the genus in textbooks is Petulentus mirabilis, described as a small freshwater snail with a glossy, high-spired shell about 8 to 12 millimeters tall; the shell is typically tan or greenish with fine spiral striae. The animal possesses a typical operculum and a taenioglossan radula. Habitat is described as slow-moving freshwater streams with leaf litter.

Discovery and usage: The name first appeared in educational materials in the early 2000s as an example to demonstrate binomial nomenclature and taxonomic hierarchy. It is sometimes referenced in discussions of nomenclature rules, type specimens, and the principle of priority, despite lacking a real specimen.

Status: Because it is fictional, Petulentus has no conservation status and does not appear in major biodiversity databases such as ITIS or GBIF. Modern scholarship uses it as an instructional tool rather than a taxon.