Haminoeidae, commonly known as the haminoeid bubble snail family, is a taxonomic family of sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Haminoeoidea.
The name of this family has long been controversial, and used to be Atyidae or Atydidae. Another, but incorrect, spelling was Haminaeidae (See (ICZN) 2000. Opinion 1942).
A number of genera have been proposed for this family, but the species are hard to identify (or sometimes impossible to identify) by looking only at the external characteristics. Until the internal anatomy of 'wet' specimens has been fully described, the status of many of the genera listed here is uncertain.
These bubble snails occur in all warm or temperate seas.
These are sand dwellers or they live on muddy bottoms, in bays, estuaries, and close to the shore in tidepools.
These are colorful snails, that can partially take the color of the sea floor.
Their large cephalic shield is rounded at the front, but deeply lobed behind. The mantle protrudes behind the shell. The shell is partially or completely enfolded by lateral parapodial (= fleshy winglike outgrowths) lobes.
Their shell varies in size according to the species, from 3 mm to 30 mm.
The shell is ovoid, thin and translucent. It may be smooth or have spiral grooves (striae). The umbilical apex is sunken or enclosed and no longer visible. Large body whorl with fine spiral striations. Smooth columella. The thin outer lip of the aperture extends beyond the apex of the shell and is thus longer than the body whorl. The aperture narrows posteriorly and is wider anteriorly.
These snails are herbivorous. Their diet consists of various kinds of green algae. They can survive in brackish water.
They are hermophroditic. Their eggs are deposited in round or oval jellylike strings, attached to eelgrass or sand.
Atys naucum and Atys cylindricum are known to show biological fluorescence.
Genera and species
Genera within the family Haminoeidae include:
AliculastrumAtys Montfort, 1810Austrocylichna Burn, 1974Bullacta Bergh, 1901 - with the only species: Bullacta exarata (Philippi, 1849)Cylichnatys Kuroda & Habe, 1952Cylichnium W. H. Dall, 1908Cylichnium africanumCylichnium domitum Dall, 1908 - Distribution: CaribbeanCylichnium matsumotoi (Habe, 1955) - Distribution: JapanDiniatys Iredale, 1936HaloaHaminoea Turton & Kingston in Carrington, 1830Hamineobulla Habe, 1950 - belongs to the family Bullidae according to WoRMS Liloa Pilsbry, 1921Limulatys Iredale, 1936MicratysMimatysMnestia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854Nipponatys Habe, 1952Phanerophthalmus A. Adams, 1850SericohaminoeaSmaragdinella A. Adams, 1848SphaeratysVentomnestia Iredale, 1936Weinkauffia Monterosato, 1884Genera brought into synonymyAtyscaphander Annandale, 1924: synonym of Bullacta Bergh, 1901Dinia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854: synonym of Diniatys Iredale, 1936Haminea Gray, 1847: synonym of Haminoea Turton & Kingston in Carrington, 1830Sinohaminea Tchang, 1933: synonym of Bullacta Bergh, 1901Genus DiniatysDiniatys dentifer A. Adams, 1850 - Distribution: Indo-Pacific, Length : 10 mm, Description : this herbivore is found on the bluegreen algae Lyngbya majuscula, Schizothrix and Hormothamnion. There is a pointed projection on the columella. The color varies between green and various shades of brown. The two black eyes are on the back of the cephalic shield.Diniatys monodonta A. Adams, 1850Distribution: JapanGenus HaloaHaloa binotata (H. A. Pilsbry, 1895)Distribution : Indo PacificHaloa constricta A. Adams, 1850Distribution : JapanHaloa crocata W. H. Pease, 1860Distribution : HawaiiHaloa flavescens (A. Adams, 1850)Distribution : Indo PacificHaloa fusca W. H. Pease, 1863Distribution : Indo PacificHaloa japonica H. A. Pilsbry, 1895 Japanese Paper-bubbleDistribution : Indo Pacific, JapanLength : 10 mmDescription : species with beautiful colors : glassy white background with tiny white spots and dark patches with orange dots.Haloa kawamurai T. Habe, 1950Distribution : Indo PacificHaloa margaritoides T. Kuroda & T. Habe, 1971Distribution : JapanLength : 7 mmDescription : intertidal among seaweedsHaloa nigripunctata W. H. Pease, 1868Distribution : JapanHaloa rotundata A. Adams, 1850Distribution : JapanHaloa vitrea (A. Adams, 1850)Distribution : JapanHaloa yamaguchii T. Habe, 1952Distribution : Indo PacificGenus Hamineobulla Habe, 1950 (incertae sedis; may be belong to the family Bullidae)Hamineobulla kawamurai Habe, 1950Distribution : OkinawaLength : 6 mmDescription : brown animal with short cephalic shield; on the shell there are a few transverse rows with brighter dotsGenus Liloa Pilsbry, 1921Since most of these bubble snails were named on the basis of the shell alone, the occurrence of synonyms among the following species is quite possible.
Liloa brevis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)Distribution : AustraliaDescription : elongate body; parapodial flpas cover only the front of the thin, fragile shellLiloa curta (A. Adams, 1850)Distribution : Western PacificDescription : elongate body; the color can vary from a few dark spots on a translucent body, to almost completely dark.Liloa incisula Yokoyama, 1928Distribution : JapanLiloa laeta A. A. Gould, 1859Distribution : Indo PacificLiloa nipponensis Nomura & Hatai, 1940Distribution : JapanLiloa porcellana A. A. Gould, 1859Distribution : JapanLiloa tomaculum H. A. Pilsbry, 1951Distribution : Hawaiian IslandsLiloa translucens A. Adams, 1862Distribution : JapanGenus Limulatys Iredale, 1936Limulatys constrictus T. Habe, 1952Distribution : Indo PacificLength : 16 mmLimulatys crassilabris (J. Thiele, 1925)Distribution : S.E. Asia, ThailandLength : 8 mmLimulatys fusiformis T. Habe, 1952Distribution : JapanLimulatys muscarius A. A. Gould, 1859Distribution : Indo Pacific, PhilippinesLimulatys okamotoi T. Habe, 1952Distribution : Indo PacificLimulatys ooformis T. Habe, 1964 Egg-shaped BubbleDistribution : Indo Pacific, Philippines, ThailandLength : 20 mmLimulatys okamotoi Habe, 1952Distribution : PhilippinesLength : 9 mmLimulatys reliquus Iredale, 1936Distribution : New ZealandLimulatys scobriculatus A. Adams, 1862Distribution : JapanLimulatys tortuosus A. Adams, 1850Distribution : JapanGenus Micratys Habe, 1952Micratys ovum T. Habe, 1952Distribution : Japan, PhilippinesLength : 2 mmGenus Mimatys Habe, 1952Mimatys fukuokaensis T. Habe, 1952Distribution : Japan, PhilippinesLength : 2.5 mmGenus Nipponatys Kurida & Habe, 1952Nipponatys amakusaensis T. Habe & Kikuchi, 1960Distribution : JapanNipponatys oshimai T. Habe & Kikuchi, 1960Nipponatys volvulina A. Adams, 1862Distribution : JapanGenus Sericohaminoea Habe, 1952Genus Sphaeratys F. Nordsieck, 1972 (?)Genus VentomnestiaVentomnestia bizona (A. Adams, 1850)Ventomnestia colorata Iredale, 1936Ventomnestia villica (Gould, 1859) (may be a synonym of Ventomnestia bizona)Distribution : GuamLength : 5.5 mmDescription : a bubble snail with a great variation in color, from white to brown, but always with a characteristic pattern; heavy shell; radula formula : 2.1.2;Genus Weinkauffia A. Adams, 1858Weinkauffia diaphana A. Aradas & Maggiore, 1839Distribution : West AfricaDescription : has similar gizzard plates as Atys multistriatusWeinkauffia turgidula Forbes, 1844Distribution : Adriatic Sea, Malta, TurkeyLength : 5 mmDescription : fossils of this species have been found in sediments of Pliocene age in Italy.
