Ovulinae

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Ovulinae
Primovula roseomaculata.jpg
An ovuline: a live individual of Primovula roseomaculata in situ, head end towards the upper right
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Clade: Hypsogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Cypraeoidea
Family: Ovulidae
Subfamily: Ovulinae
J. Fleming, 1828
Genera

See text

The subfamily Ovulinae, common name the ovulines, is a highly specialized, extant group of sea snails in the family Ovulidae. These are predatory or parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the superfamily Cypraeoidea. Species in this subfamily are sometimes referred to as cowries (singular: cowry or cowrie), although this name is commonly used for any member of the superfamily Cypraeoidea.

Contents

Description

Ovulinae typically have either an ovate (egg-shaped), lanceolate (lance-shaped) or pyriform (pear-shaped) shell. The spire is not prominent, and the funiculum is absent. The anal canal is twisted anteriorly. [1] The extremities are usually short and the outer lip of the aperture has well-developed teeth. [2] The mantle usually completely covers the shell in life. The mantle is typically brightly colored, while the shell is often white, although in some cases the shell is pink or even red. This can easily be seen in photographs of the snails.

Habitat

Ovulines live parasitically on anthozoans (of the phylum Cnidaria), feeding off of the exterior of the organism. In these cases, the ovuline species in question has almost always evolved a size, shape, and color that mimics the appearance of the cnidarians and camouflages itself with it. Alimentary homochromy, or the process of gaining the pigmentation of a host by feeding on the host, further helps to hide ovulines amongst their prey. Most members of the Ovulines live in tropical and subtropical waters. [3]

Taxonomy

Species within the family Ovulidae have been reclassified numerous times throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, and this has also affected the classification of the subfamily Ovulinae (Shilder 1932, Allan 1956, Cate 1973, Fehse 2001). Historically, the Ovulids were separated into two subfamilies, Ovulinae and Volvinae, although this is no longer true. The taxonomy has changed often. [2]

Bouchet & Rocroi (2005)

Bouchet and Rocroi (2005) present the following subfamilies of the family Ovulidae, of which Ovulinae is a subfamily.

Fehse (2007)

Fehse (2007) presents the following subfamilies of the family Ovulidae, of which Ovulinae is a subfamily.

At least one researcher suggests that there is still much work to be done is properly categorizing the taxonomy of the Ovulids in general, and the Ovulines in particular. [2]

Genera

Genera within the Ovulinae include:

Genera brought into synonymy

Related Research Articles

Littorinimorpha Order of gastropods

Littorinimorpha is a large order of snails, gastropods, consisting primarily of sea snails, but also including some freshwater snails and land snails.

Cypraeoidea Superfamily of gastropods

Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies, is a superfamily of sea snails, marine gastropods included in the clade Littorinimorpha. This superfamily had been called Cypraeacea and was named by Rafinesque in 1815.

Cypraeidae Family of gastropods

Cypraeidae, common named the cowries, is a taxonomic family of small to large sea snails. These are marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies.

Ovulidae Family of gastropods

Ovulidae, common names the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries, is a family of small to large predatory or parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and the cowry allies.

<i>Volva</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

Volva is a genus of sea snails, specifically cowry allies or ovulids, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Ovulidae.

Triviidae Family of gastropods

Triviidae is a taxonomic family of small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cypraeoidea of the order Littorinimorpha.

<i>Cyphoma</i> Genus of gastropods

Cyphoma is a genus of predatory tropical sea snails, a taxonomic group of marine gastropod molluscs in the family Ovulidae, a family which is sometimes known as the false cowries or cowry allies.

<i>Primovula</i> Genus of gastropods

Primovula is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Ovulidae, the false cowries.

Pediculariinae Subfamily of gastropods

Pediculariinae is a subfamily of small to large predatory or parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Ovulidae and the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and the cowry allies. As of 2009, it comprises 48 described species of which 20 are regarded as valid by most scientists.

Eocypraeidae is a small family of large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies.

<i>Crenavolva traillii</i> Species of gastropod

Crenavolva traillii, common name Traill's ovulid, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<i>Cyphoma signatum</i> Species of gastropod

Cyphoma signatum, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.This species was recently synonymised with Cyphoma gibbosum.

<i>Ovula ovum</i> Species of gastropod

Ovula ovum, common name the common egg cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<i>Pellasimnia angasi</i> Species of gastropod

Pellasimnia angasi, common name Angas's volva, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<i>Crenavolva</i> Genus of gastropods

Crenavolva is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Eocypraeinae of the family Ovulidae.

<i>Diminovula</i> Genus of gastropods

Diminovula is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Eocypraeinae of the family Ovulidae.

<i>Ovula</i> Genus of gastropods

Ovula is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Ovulidae.

<i>Phenacovolva</i> Genus of gastropods

Phenacovolva is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Ovulidae.

Simniinae

Simniinae is a subfamily of molluscs in the Ovulidae family of gastropods.

References

  1. ↑ Fehse, Dirk (May 1, 2007). "Contributions to the knowledge of the Ovulidae. XVI. The higher systematics" (PDF). Spixiana : Zeitschrift für Zoologie. Munich. ISSN   0341-8391. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Schiaparelli, S.; Barucca M.; Olmo E.; Boyer M.; Canapa A. (2005). "Phylogenetic relationships within Ovulidae (Gastropoda: Cypraeoidea) based on molecular data from the 16S rRNA gene". Marine Biology. 147 (2): 411–420. doi:10.1007/s00227-005-1566-0. S2CID   85420879.
  3. ↑ Oliverio, Marco. "Host association and external morphology of Dentiovula dorsuosa from the Red Sea (Prosobranchia, Caenogastropoda, Ovulidae)" (PDF). Argonauta : Journal of Malacology. 3. ISSN   0394-3399.[ permanent dead link ]
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