Caecidae is a taxonomic family of very small and minute sea snails or micromolluscs, marine gastropod molluscs in the order Littorinimorpha.
These minute tubular shells can be found living in marine sediment, or among algae or sponges, in warm and temperate seas.
The shells in this family, are unusual in that the adult shell is a curving tube. In the subfamily Caecinae the protoconch is lost and the tube is sealed with a permanent calcareous plug at one end. In the subfamilies Ctiloceratinae and Strebloceratinae the protoconch is retained. At the other end the tube is sealed by a circular operculum. The spiral part is almost always lost when outgrowing the juvenile stage. The color of the shell is white to pale yellow.
This family contains three subfamilies :
Caecinae Gray, 1850Ctiloceratinae Iredale & Laseron, 1957Strebloceratinae Bandel, 1996Caecum Fleming, 1813Carinocera Iredale & Laseron, 1957Ctiloceras R. B. Watson, 1886Elephantanellum Bartsch, 1920Elephantulum Carpenter, 1856Enigmerces Iredale & Laseron, 1957Fartulum Carpenter, 1857Gladioceras Iredale & Laseron, 1957Jayella Iredale & Laseron, 1957Meioceras Carpenter, 1859Parastrophia de Folin, 1870Ponderoceras Bandel, 1996PseudoparastrophiaStrebloceras Carpenter 1859Torresella Iredale & Laseron, 1957Transcopia Iredale & Laseron, 1957Watsonia de Folin, 1880 (possibly synonymous with Parastrophia)Genera brought into synonymy Brochina Gray, 1857: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813Brochus T. Brown, 1827: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813Micranellum Bartsch 1900: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813Moreletia de Folin, 1869: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869Odontidium Philippi, 1836: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813Pedumicra Iredale & Laseron, 1957: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869Phleboceras de Folin, 1868: synonym of Strebloceras Carpenter, 1859Pictocaecum Habe 1978: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813Spirolidium O. G. Costa, 1861: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869: synonym
