Diaphanidae | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Cephalaspidea |
Superfamily: | Diaphanoidea |
Family: | Diaphanidae Odhner, 1922 |
Diaphanidae is a taxonomic family of small sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs or micromollusks in the superfamily Diaphanoidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
The little-known species in this family have small, flimsy, almost globular shells, known as paper bubble gastropod shells.
Species in this family are found in cold seas, such as the Arctic region, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand.
The species occur in the sublittoral to abyssal zones.
The shell is minute, thin, fragile, colorless to translucent, and usually less than 5 mm in size. The overall shape is ovate, pear-shaped, and bulbous. There is a sunken apex.
Genera within the family Diaphanidae include:
Limacina is a genus of swimming predatory sea snails commonly known as sea butterflies in the family Limacinidae. This genus contains some of the world's most abundant gastropod species.
Bulla is a genus of medium to large hermaphrodite sea snails, shelled marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs. These herbivorous snails are in the suborder Cephalaspidea, headshield slugs, and the order Opisthobranchia.
Notodiaphana fragilis is a species of marine snail, gastropod mollusk in the clade Architectibranchia.
Haminoeidae, commonly known as the haminoeid bubble snail family, is a taxonomic family of sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Haminoeoidea.
Atys is a genus of very small to medium-sized sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Haminoeidae.
Thyasiridae is a family of bivalve molluscs, including the cleft clams, in the order Lucinida.
Omalogyra is a genus of minute marine gastropod molluscs in the family Omalogyridae.
Volutomitra is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Volutomitridae, the mitres, with global distribution.
Admete is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cancellariidae, the nutmeg snails.
Philine is a genus of sea slugs or sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Philininae of the family Philinidae, the headshield slugs or paper bubbles.
Acteon is a genus of small sea snails, predatory marine gastropod mollusks in the family Acteonidae, the barrel bubble snails.
Haminoea is a genus of medium-sized sea snails or bubble snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the family Haminoeidae, the haminoea bubble snails, part of the clade Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
Bela is a genus of sea snails; marine gastropod mollusks in the family Mangeliidae.
Cyclostrema is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Liotiidae.
Toledonia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cylichnidae.
Cerithiella is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Newtoniellidae.
Melanella antarctica is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eulimidae. The species is one of many species known to exist within the genus, Melanella. As the biological classification states, this species is notable for being mainly distributed in southern waters, these would include the Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea respectively.
Retusa is a genus of very small head-shield sea snails or barrel-bubble snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Retusidae.
Lorabela pelseneeri is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.
Diaphana is a genus of gastropods belonging to the family Diaphanidae.