Aplustridae

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Aplustridae
Live couple of Micromelo undatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Superfamily: Acteonoidea
Family: Aplustridae
Gray, 1847
Genera

See text.

Synonyms
  • Bullinidae Gray, 1850
  • Hydatinidae Pilsbry, 1895 (inv.)
  • † Nonacteoninidae Bandel, 1994
  • † Sulcoactaeonidae Gründel, 1997

The Aplustridae is a

mollusks in the superfamily Acteonoidea.[1]

The former name of this family, Hydatinidae (Pilsbry, 1893) has been declared invalid.[2]

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 white or 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:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Aplustridae Gray, 1847. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 8 January 2019.
  2. . 397 pp