The shell is usually smaller than 25 mm. The shell of these sand-dwelling micromollusks is small, but it is large enough to house the retracted soft parts including the entire mantle.
The aperture is elongated. The narrow shell aperture, which is ovate and pointed on the top, can be closed with an operculum.
The thick shell is oviform to fusiform, with a short (sometimes sunken) conical apex. They have spiral sculpturing. The elongated aperture opens up from narrow at the posterior notch to enlarged at the base. The base of the columella has several characteristic plaits.
The radula has no central tooth, and there are five or six laterals on each side. The teeth are very similar in shape and size across the radula, which is specialised for a diet of polychaete worms.
The eggs are enclosed in a long, gelatinous mass, which is attached to the substrate with a short stalk.
The foot is with operculum.
Acteonidae occur in warm seas in swallow and deep water.
Animals predate polychaetes.
Genera within the family Acteonidae include:
Genus Acteon Montfort, 1810 - type genus
† Genus Acteonina d'Orbigny, 1850
Genus Bathyacteon Valdés, 2008
Genus Callostracon Repetto & Bianco, 2012
Callostracon amabile Watson, 1886Callostracon chariis (Watson, 1886)Callostracon tyrrhenicum (Smriglio, C. & P. Mariottini, 1996)Distribution : Tyrrhenian Sea.† Genus Colostracon Hamlin, 1884
Genus Crenilabium Cossmann, 1889
Crenilabium aciculatum Cossman, 1889Crenilabium exilis (Jeffreys, 1870)Distribution : Florida, Mexico, Eastern Atlantic, Iceland, Mediterranean.Length : 8.1 mmDescription : found at depths of 270 to 2640 mCrenilabium pacifica Kuroda & Habe, 1958Distribution : Indo-PacificGenus Inopinodon Bouchet, 1975
Inopinodon azonicus Locard, 1897Genus Japonactaeon Taki, 1956
Genus Liocarenus Harris & Burrows, 1891
Liocarenus globulinus Forbes, 1844Distribution : Atlantic, MediterraneanGenus Lissacteon Monterosato, 1890
Genus Maxacteon Rudman, 1971
Maxacteon cratericulatus Hedley, 1906Distribution : New ZealandMaxacteon fabreanus (= Acteon fabreanus) Crosse, 1874Distribution : PhilippinesLength : 17–30 mmDescription : white shell with five whorls, each whorl filled with lightbrown bands covering the many spirals of each whorl.Maxacteon flammeus (= Acteon flammeus) Gmelin, 1791Distribution : Red Sea, tropical Indo-West PacificLength : 17 mmDescription : the headshield is developing secondary tentacles.Maxacteon hancocki (synonym: Acteon hancocki) Rudman, 1971Maxacteon milleri (synonym: Acteon milleri) Rudman, 1971Genus Mysouffa Marcus, 1974
Mysouffa cumingii (= Acteon mysouffa cumingii) (A. Adams, 1855)Distribution : Florida, BrazilLength : 20 mmMysouffa turrita (Watson, 1883)Distribution : Jamaica, Cuba, CaribbeanLength : 14 mmDescription : found at depths of around 700 mGenus Neactaeonina Thiele, 1912
Genus Obrussena Iredale, 1930
Obrussena bracteata Iredale, 1930Distribution : AustraliaObrussena moeshimaensis T. Habe, 1952Distribution : JapanGenus Ongleya Finlay & Marwick, 1937
Genus Ovulacteon Dall, 1889
Ovulacteon meekii Dall, 1889Distribution : Cuba, Bahamas, East BrazilLength : 5.5 mmDescription : found at depths of 360 to 820 mGenus Pseudacteon Thiele, 1925. There is also a homonym genus Pseudacteon Coquillett, 1907, arthropods in the family Phoridae
Pseudacteon albus Sowerby III, 1873Distribution : South AfricaPseudacteon pusillus Forbes, 1844Distribution : Florida, North Atlantic, MediterraneanLength : 11 mmPseudacteon tenellus Loven, 1846Pseudactaeon luteofasciatus (Mühlfeldt, 1829): synonym of Acteon tornatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)Genus Punctacteon Kuroda & Habe, 1961
Punctacteon amakusaensis T. Habe, 1949Distribution : Indo-PacificPunctacteon cebuanus Lan, 1985Distribution : PhilippinesPunctacteon eloisae Abbott, 1973 Eloise’s acteonDistribution : Red Sea, Oman.Length : 25–38 mmDescription: sublittoral on sandy bottoms; cream-colored shell with 5 convex whorls, each whorl with many spiral windings; each whorl is filled with redbrown separate patterns with darkbrown to black borders; similar to Maxacteon flammea.Punctacteon fabraeus H. CrossePunctacteon kajiyamai T. Habe, 1976Distribution : Indo-PacificPunctacteon kawamurai T. Habe, 1952Distribution : JapanPunctacteon kirai T. Habe, 1949Distribution : Indo-Pacific off the PhilippinesLength : 20 mmDescription : shell whitish to brownish; five whorls, first whorl being the largest; each whorl has many spiral windings; outer lip is notched.Punctacteon variegatus (synonym: Acteon variegatus) Bruguière, 1789 Pink-spotted acteonDistribution : Philippines, West Australia.Length : 9–27 mmDescription : sublittoral on sandy bottoms; convex, cream-colored shell with five whorls, each whorls is covered with transverse pink-colored to lightbrown patterns, without dark borders; whirls with prominent shoulder.Genus Pupa Röding, 1798:
Genus Rictaxis Dall, 1871:
The genus name is derived from Latin words, meaning “open mouth”, and “axis” referring to the columella.
Rictaxis albus Sowerby, 1873Distribution : South AfricaLength : 10–21 mmDescription white shell with numerous spiraling white to lightbrown groovesRictaxis painei Dall, 1903Distribution : AmericaRictaxis punctocaelatus Carpenter, 1864 Barrel shell; Carpenter's baby bubble (synonym: Acteon punctocaelatus Carpenter, 1864)Distribution : Southern Alaska, British Columbia, CaliforniaLength : 10–20 mmDescription : found in sand from lowtide line to depths up to 50 m; evenly elleptical shell with alternating darker brown and grayish-brown bands; outer lip and columellar folds are whitish; large spire; ovate columella strongly twisted, with a pointed posterior notch and a rounded base.Rictaxis punctostriatus (C. B. Adams, 1840) Adam’s baby bubble, pitted baby bubbleGenus Tenuiacteon Aldrich, 1921
Tenuiacteon ambiguus Hutton, 1885Genus Tomlinula Strand, 1932
Tomlinula turrita Watson, 1886† Genus Volvaria Lamarck, 1801
Genera brought into synonymyActaeon Ersch & Gruber, 1818: synonym of Acteon Montfort, 1810† Actaeonidea Gabb, 1872: synonym of Rictaxis Dall, 1871Buccinulus H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Callostracon sensu Nordsieck, 1972: synonym of † Colostracon Hamlin, 1884Crenilabrum Kobelt, 1892: synonym of Crenilabium Cossmann, 1889Dactylus Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Japonacteon [sic]: synonym of Japonactaeon Taki, 1956Lissactaeon Monterosato, 1890: synonym of Crenilabium Cossmann, 1889Neoacteonina [sic] : synonym of Neactaeonina Thiele, 1912Obrussa Iredale, 1925: synonym of Obrussena Iredale, 1930Solidula Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Strigopupa Habe, 1958: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Tornatella Lamarck, 1816: synonym of Acteon Montfort, 1810
