Philinidae

Taxobox
name = Philinidae


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Opisthobranchia
subordo = Cephalaspidea
superfamilia = Philinoidea
familia = Philinidae
familia_authority = Gray, 1850
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.

Philinidae is a family of medium-sized, sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks. They are headshield slugs, in the suborder Cephalaspidea.

Description

These slugs are oblong-shaped, white, strongly muscular, with a large head-shield often occupying two thirds of the body length. The shell is internal, or subquadrate, thin and fragile. They are active burrowers in mud or silty sand, and carnivorous, feeding upon small bivalves, which they crush with large gizzard-plates.

Genera within the family Philinidae

* "Philine" Ascanius, 1772

*

References

*
* Powell A. W. B., "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1