« Members of this family have minute shells (diameter mostly 1-3mm) that range from essentially smooth to diversely sculptured, and turbiniform to subplanispiral, with a tangential aperture, a multispiral chitinous operculum, and rhipidoglossate radula. The shell is typically thin and is not conspicuously nacreous, although SEM of the shell surface within the aperture reveals minute platelets that represent a greatly reduced nacreous layer. This layer is possibly lost entirely in some members of the family, although I have not encountered one. » – B. A. Marshall: “Skeneidae, Vitrinellidae and Orbitestellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) associated with biogenic substrata from bathyal depths off New Zealand and New South Wales”, Journal of Natural History vol.22, Wellington 1988, p.952.
 

A junior synonym, invalid because already used for a fish, is Tharsis Jeffreys, who writes: « Shell globular, solid, and glossy. Peristome circular and continuous, but attached to the pillar on that side. Base closed by a pad or thick testaceous layer in the adult, perforated in the young. Operculum chitinous or horny, and multispiral. This genus differs from Cyclostrema in the peristome being, although continuous, not free or detached from the rest of the shell, and in the umbilicus being closed instead of open in the adult. » – J. G. Jeffreys: “On the Mollusca procured during the ‘Lightning’ and ‘Porcupine’ expeditions 1868-70 – Part VI”, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, London 1883, p.93.
 

« Shell minute, skeneiform, discoidal, convex-concave, with conspicuous ribbing. Umbilicus large, deep. Aperture circular. Whorls rounded, with deep sutures, devoid of spiral sculpture and covered by very close axial ribs with very reduced interspaces. Protoconch devoid of significant ornamentation, with a pointed and inclined apex. » – Fasulo & Cterella: “Dasyskenea suavis gen. et sp. nov. (Gastropoda: Skeneidae)”, La Conchiglia vol. 305, p.31-32. About 19 years later, an additional description was produced, characterizing the genus by shells « with deviated protoconch and longitudinal cords absent or recognizable only on portions of the whorls. » – Nofroni & al.: “Dasyskenea dibellai n.sp. from the Central Mediterranean Sea (Gastropoda Vetigastropoda Skeneidae)”, Biodiversity Journal vol. 13(1), march 2022, p.156.
 

Shell minute, translucent, subglobular, narrowly umbilicate; spiral sculpture absent or made up of thin striae; axial sculpture of growth lines, especially near the labrum; operculum multispiral. Cf. T. Høisaeter: “Taxonomic notes on the North-European species of Cyclostrema sensu Jeffreys, 1863 (Prosobranchia: Diotocardia)”, Sarsia vol.33, Bergen 1968, p.47. – The name Dikoleps is derived from the Greek word, koleps: bend of a knee. It refers to the form of the growth line, which show two bends (not visible in this site’s pictures), one at the peryphery, one at the base.
 

« A mixture of Cyclostrema and Adeorbis, from which it can be distinguished by the almost closed umbilicus and by the furrows that are neither erased nor imbricated. It differs from Maravignia by to the shape of the apex and of the operculum. » – T. A. di Monterosato: Nomenclatura generica e specifica di alcune conchiglie mediterranee Palermo 1884, p.109. The genus Maravignia mentioned in this short differential diagnosis refers to Fossarus Philippi.
 

« Shell small […], flattened orbicular to almost globular, translucent, white; finely striated, reticulated, stippled or unsculptured; umbilicus usually present; aperture round, with continuous peristome. Growth lines without sharp bends. Operculum circular, multispiral, thin and horny. » – T. H⊘isaeter: “Taxonomic notes on the North-European species of Cyclostrema sensu Jeffreys, 1863 (Prosobranchia: Diotocardia)”, Sarsia vol.33, Bergen 1968, p.49. – « This genus I feel inclined to term Skenea, in honour of Dr. Skene mentionned above, whose labours, though but little known, justify this appropriation of his name. » – J. Fleming: “On the British testaceous annelids”, The Edinburgh Philosophical Journal vol.12(24), Edinburgh 1825, p.246.
 

« Small, low-spired skeneids with strongly sculptured shell. 4-12 strong spiral ribs and numerous axial ribs. Microsculpture of axial lamellae and/or axially arranged granules. Radula with two lateral teeth on each side, inner one broad and flat, outer one hook-shaped. Innermost marginal tooth with large basal plate. Propodial penis present. » – A. Warén: “New and little known "Skeneimorph" gastropods from the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean”, Bollettino Malacologico vol.27(10-12), Milano 1992, p.156. Two extant species.