Scientific name Assimineidae Rank Family | Superfamily Rissooidea | |
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Lower classifications Assiminea, Assiminea grayana, Assiminea pecos, Badwater snail | ||
Assimineidae is a family of minute snails with an operculum, gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the superfamily Rissoidae. Many of these very small snails live in intermediate habitats, being amphibious between saltwater and land; others live in freshwater.
Contents
Distribution
The distribution of the Assimineidae is worldwide.
Ecology
Various species in this family occur in estuarine habitats, in salt marshes and in freshwater. Some are terrestrial or amphibious.
Description
The shell is small to medium large, more or less egg-conelike shaped. The apertural margin is simple. The operculum is in most cases horny.
Species in this family are characterized by rudimentary cephalic tentacles, a trunklike snout, a foot with a groove and rudimentary to absent ctenidium (a comb-like respiratory apparatus).
Taxonomy
The following three subfamilies were recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):
Genera
Genera in the family Assimineidae include:
subfamily Assimineinae
subfamily Ekadantinae
subfamily Omphalotropidinae
subfamily ?