Cerithiidae

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Cerithiidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Infraclass: Apogastropoda
Superorder: Caenogastropoda
Order: Sorbeoconcha
Family: Cerithiidae
Fleming, 1822
Genera

See text

Cerithiidae, or the Ceriths, are a taxonomic family of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the order Sorbeoconcha.

Contents

[edit] Description

This is a world-wide family of many-whorl, tall-spired shells, with a small aperture and a short anterior canal. They closely resemble the Potamididae but have a different operculum, that is more or less D-shaped and paucispiral, with the nucleus near to the lower inner margin. They live mostly in shallow water, amongst sea grass, on mud or sand, and their food consists largely of detritus.

[edit] Subfamilies

The following subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):

  • Alabininae Dall, 1927
  • Bittiinae Cossmann, 1906
  • Cerithiinae Fleming, 1822

[edit] Genera within the family Cerithiidae

  • Ataxocerithium Tate, 1893
  • Bittiolum
  • Bittium Gray, 1847
  • Campanile
  • Cerithidium
  • Cerithiella
  • Cerithium
  • Clypeomorus
  • Diala
  • Gourmya
  • Lirobittium
  • Plesiotrochus
  • Rhinoclavis
  • Scaliola
  • Stylidium
  • Styliferina
  • Tasmalira Dell, 1956
  • Varicopeza

[edit] References