Kingdom Animalia Scientific name Haminoeoidea Rank Superfamily | Phylum Mollusca Higher classification Gastropods Lower classifications Haminoeidae, Haminoea | |
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Haminoeoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of small sea snails or bubble shells, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the clade Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
Contents
- Habitat
- Shell description
- Description of live animal
- Life habits
- Predators
- Families genera species
- References
These cephalaspideans do have distinct anatomical and morphological characteristics, but unfortunately many species were described only from empty shells. For proper clarification of the taxonomy, those species still need the research necessary to provide a good description of the external and internal anatomy of the living animal.
Habitat
One can often find these bubble snails in enormous numbers, burrowing in mud on intertidal and sublittoral beds of green algae such as for example, the sea lettuce, Ulva lactuca.
Shell description
These bubble snails have thin, inflated shells ranging in shape from ovoid to flat and oval. They have an involute (sunken) spire.
Description of live animal
The soft parts of the animals can retract completely or partially into their shells, and yet this offers them scant protection, because the aperture is rather wide and there is no operculum. Furthermore, the shell is very fragile and can easily be crushed by a predator.
The cephalic shield of most species in this superfamily has two hind lobes that lie back on the front of the shell. The black eyes are usually buried just beneath the surface of the head.
Life habits
Haminoeid bubble snails are mostly herbivorous.
Predators
Their predators include species of carnivorous aglajids such as Navanax inermis.
Families, genera, species
Families, genera and species within the Haminoeoidea include: