Olive snail | |
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live Vullietoliva kaleontina | |
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Shells of Lettered olive, Americoliva sayana | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
Order: | Neogastropoda |
Superfamily: | Olivoidea |
Family: | Olividae Latreille, 1825 |
Genera | |
See text | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Olivancillariidae |
Olive snails, also known as olive shells and olives, scientific name Olividae, are a taxonomic family of medium to large predatory sea snails with smooth, shiny, elongated oval-shaped shells. [1]
The shells often show various muted but attractive colors, and may be patterned also. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Olividae within the main clade Neogastropoda.
According to the Revised Classification, Nomenclator and Typification of Gastropod Families (2017) [2] the family Olividae consists of five subfamilies: [3]
Olive snails are found worldwide, in subtropical and tropical seas and oceans.
These snails are found on sandy substrates intertidally and subtidally.
The olive snails are all carnivorous sand-burrowers. They feed mostly on bivalves and carrion and are known as some of the fastest burrowers among snails. They secrete a mucus similar to that of the Muricidae, from which a purple dye can be made.
Physically the shells are oval and cylindrical in shape. They have a well-developed stepped spire. Olive shells have a siphonal notch at the posterior end of the long narrow aperture. The siphon of the living animal protrudes from the siphon notch.
The shell surface is extremely glossy because in life the mantle almost always covers the shell. [4] [5]
Olive shells are popular with shell collectors, and are also often made into jewelry and other decorative items.
The shell of the lettered olive, Oliva sayana , is the state shell of South Carolina in the United States.
Genera within the family Olividae include:
Neogastropoda is an order of sea snails, both freshwater and marine gastropod molluscs.
Ocenebrinae is a taxonomic subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. This subfamily is within the large family Muricidae, which are commonly known as the murex and rock snails.
Rapaninae is a subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae.
Vasidae, common name the vase snails or vase shells, are a taxonomic family of large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the superfamily Turbinelloidea.
Olivellinae, are a subfamily of small predatory sea snails with smooth, shiny, elongated oval-shaped shells, in the family Olividae. The shells sometimes show muted but attractive colors, and may have some patterning.
Callianax biplicata, common names the purple dwarf olive, purple olive shell, or purple olivella is a species of small predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Olividae, the olives.
Fasciolariidae is a family of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Buccinoidea. Species in Fasciolariidae are commonly known as tulip snails and spindle snails.
Olivoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of minute to medium-large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.
Costellariidae sometimes called the "ribbed miters" is a taxonomic family of minute to medium-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. This family of snails is also sometimes referred to as Vexillum miters. The main family of miter shells however is Mitridae, a closely related group.
Velutinidae is a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha.
Pseudolividae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Olivoidea.
Olivella, common name the dwarf olives, is a genus of small predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Olivellinae of the family Olividae, the olives. Olivella is the type genus of the family.
Agaronia steeriae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Olivancillaria orbignyi, common name Ureta's olive, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Callianax alectona is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Callianax strigata is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Olivancillaria is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Olivancillariinae of the family Olividae.
Calliostomatinae is a subfamily of gastropods, belonging to the family Calliostomatidae.
The Ancillariidae is a taxonomic family of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Olivoidea. They are gastropods, which belong to the larger group of mollusks. This family is part of the superfamily Cypraeoidea, which includes cowries, a well-known group of sea snails.
Olivinae is a subfamily of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Olividae, the olives.