Aplustridae

Aplustridae
Micromelo guamensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia
informal group Lower Heterobranchia
Superfamily: Acteonoidea
Family: Aplustridae
Gray, 1847
Genera

See text.
Synonyms

Hydatinidae Pilsbry, 1895 (inv.)

The Aplustridae is a taxonomic family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the informal group Lower Heterobranchia.

The former name of this family, Hydatinidae (Pilsbry, 1893) has been declared invalid.[1]

Contents

Description

The soft parts of animals in this family are brightly colored.

The oval bubble-shaped shell is thin and fragile and has a sunken spire. The shell is beige-colored with colored bands or stripes.

There is no operculum.

Life habits

The soft parts of the animal cannot retract completely into the shell, and therefore these animals depend for their defense on swimming and camouflage. They are specialised feeders, eating cirratulinid polychaete worms.

Genera

Genera within the family Aplustridae include:

Distribution: Argentina, Falkland Islands, subantarctic
Length: 2.8 mm

References

  1. ^ ^Bouchet, P.; Rocroi, J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda,J.; Hausdorf,B.; Ponder, W.; Valdes, A.; Warén, A. (2005). Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. ISBN 3-925919-72-4. 397 pp