Potamididae

Potamididae
Temporal range: Middle Eocene[1]-Recent
Terebralia palustris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda

clade Sorbeoconcha
Superfamily: Cerithioidea
Family: Potamididae
H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854
Diversity
6 living genera[1] and 29 living species[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Telescopiidae Allan, 1950
  • Cerithideidae Houbrick, 1988

Potamididae, common name potamidids (also horn snails or mudwhelks), are a family of small to large brackish water snails living in mangroves,[1] gastropod molluscs of the clade Sorbeoconcha. Traditionally, potamidids and batillariids have been confused with each other for having similar shells and living in a similar environment. For many fossil taxa the family assignment to either of these two families is still unresolved or controversial.[1]

According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) the family Potamididae has no subfamilies.[2]

Contents

Ecology and Distribution

Most of the 29 living species of Potamididae show a close association with mangroves. While most species live on mudflats, some also climb mangroves trees. The distribution of Potamididae includes the Indo-West Pacific, the eastern Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean.[1]

Genera

Six living and a number of fossil genera are currently recognized[1]:

Recent genera:[1]

Fossil genera (fossils are difficult to differentiate from other cerithioideans, such as the Batillariidae):

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Reid D. G., Dyal P., Lozouet P., Glaubrecht M. & Williams S. T. (2008). "Mudwhelks and mangroves: the evolutionary history of an ecological association (Gastropoda: Potamididae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 47(2): 680­-699. PubMed, doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.003.
  2. ^ a b c Bouchet P., Rocroi J.-P., Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdés Á. & Warén A. (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology (Hackenheim, Germany: ConchBooks) 47 (1-2): 1–397. ISBN 3925919724. ISSN 0076-2997. http://www.archive.org/details/malacologia47122005inst. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Potamididae. The Paleobiology Database, accessed 10 April 2011.
  4. ^ WoRMS (2010). Potamides Brongniart, 1810. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138374 on 2011-04-10

External links