Thliptodontidae
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Thliptodontidae is a family of swimming sea slugs, pelagic marine gastropod mollusks in the suborder Gymnosomata, the sea angels.
(The two groups Gymnosomata, sea angels, and Thecosomata, sea butterflies, together were jointly known as pteropods, but this term is now outdated.)
In the new taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), Thliptodontidae is treated as Thliptodontinae, a subfamily of the family Clionidae.
[edit] Description
These small planktonic pelagic snails lack a shell except in their early embryonic stage.
They are carnivores, equipped with swimming parapoda (fleshy winglike outgrowths), strong jaws and grasping tentacles, often with suckers resembling those of cephalopods.
A more comprehensive discussion can be found under the entry Sea angels.
[edit] Genera and species within the family Thliptodontidae
Genus: Thliptodon Boas, 1886
- Thliptodon antarcticus Meisenheimer, 1906
- Thliptodon diaphanus Meisenheimer 1903
- Distribution : Florida, New Zealand, Antarctica, Weddell Sea, Oceanic
- Length : 2.5 cm
- Description : rare; inhabitant of deeper water: a pair of wings extend of the middle of the body; slowest swimmer of all pteropods. Buccal apparatus with radula and large hook sacs.
- Thliptodon gegenbauri Boas, 1886
- Distribution : Mediterranean
Genus Cephalobrachia Bonnevie, 1914
- Cephalobranchia bonnevii Massy, 1917
- Cephalobranchia macrochaeta Bonnevie, 1914
Genus Massya
