Volutidae

Volutes
A live individual of the Hebrew volute Voluta ebraea in its natural habitat
A shell of Cymbiola vespertilio, a large volute species
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Muricoidea
Family:	Volutidae Rafinesque, 1815
Subfamilies
See text

Volutidae, common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm, marine gastropod mollusks. Most of the species have no operculum.

Distribution

This family of sea snails are found mainly in tropical seas, though some species also inhabit the waters of the polar circles.

Shell description

The shell of species such as Melo amphora can grow as large as 50 cm (19.7 inches) in length.^[1]

Volutes are distinguished by their distinctively marked spiral shells (to which the family name refers, voluta meaning "scroll" in Latin).

The shells have an elongated aperture in their first whorl and an inner lip characterised by a number of deep plaits. The elaborate decorations of the shells has made them a popular collectors' item, with the imperial volute (Aulica imperialis) of the Philippines being particularly prized.

Taxonomy

Subfamilies and tribes

According to Bail & Poppe (2001)^[2] Volutidae can be subdivided into the following Subfamilies and tribes:

• Amoriinae Gray, 1857
  • Tribe Meloini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Amoriini Gray, 1857
• Athletinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Calliotectinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Cymbiinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
  • Tribe Adelomelonini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Alcithoini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Cymbiini H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
  • Tribe Livoniini Bail & Poppe, 2001
  • Tribe Odontocymbiolini Clench & Turner, 1964
  • Tribe Zidonini H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
• Fulgorariinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Plicolivinae Bpichet, 1990
• Scaphellinae Gray, 1857
• Volutinae
  • Tribe Lyriini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Volutini Rafinesque, 1815

Genera

Genera within the Volutidae include:

A beach drift shell of Scaphella junonia

• Adelomelon Dall, 1906
• Alcithoe H. Adams & A. Adams,1853
• Amoria Gray, 1855^[3]
• Ampulla Röding, 1798
• Arctomelon Dall, 1915
• Callipara Gray, 1847
• Calliotectum Dall, 1890
• Cymbiola Swainson, 1831
• Cymbiolacca
• Cymbium Röding, 1798
  • Cymbium cymbium
  • Cymbium glans
  • Cymbium marmoratum
  • Cymbium olla (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Cymbium pepo
• Enaeta H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853
• Ericusa H. Adams and A. Adams, 1858
• Fulgoraria Schumacher, 1817^[4]
• Fusivoluta E. von Martens, 1902
• Harpovoluta Thiele, 1912
• Harpulina Dall, 1906
• Iredalina Finlay, 1926
• Leptoscapha Fischer, 1883
• Livonia Gray, 1855
• Lyria Gray, 1847
• Melo Broderip in Sowerby I, 1826

Two views of a shell of Scaphella lamberti, and in the center, a cut-down shell showing the folds on the columella

• Minicymbiola Klappenbach, 1979
• Miomelon Dall, 1907
• Mitreola Swainson, 1833 †
• Nannamoria Iredale, 1929
• Nanomelon Leal & Bouchet, 1989
• Neptuneopsis Sowerby III, 1898
• Notopeplum Finlay, 1927
• Notavoluta Cotton, 1946
• Odontocymbiola Clench & Turner, 1964
• Pachymelon Marwick, 1926
• Paramoria McMichael, 1960
• Plicovula Petuch, 1979
• Provocator Watson,1882
• Scaphella Swainson, 1832
• Tenebrincola Harasewych & Kantor, 1991
• Teramachia
• Tractolira Dall, 1890
• Voluta Linnaeus, 1758
• Volutifusus Conrad, 1863
• Volutoconus Crosse, 1871
• Waihaoia Marwick, 1926
• Zygomelon Harasewych & Marshall,1995
• Zidona H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853

References

1. ^ Poutiers, J. M. (1998). Gastropods in: FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes: The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Rome, FAO, 1998. page 597.
2. ^ Bail, P. & Poppe, G. T. (2001). A taxonomic introduction to the recent Volutidae. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 30 pp., 5 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, ISBN 3-925919-47-3.
3. ^ Bail, P., Limpus, A. & Poppe, G. T. (2001): The Genus Amoria. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 50 pp., 93 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, ISBN 3-925919-46-5.
4. ^ Bail, P., Chino, M. & Terryn, Y. (2010). The Family Volutidae. The endemic Far East Asian subfamily Fulgorariinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954. A revision of the recent species. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 74 pp., 64 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, ISBN 978-3-939767-31-2.

• ITIS
• "Volute." Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006.
• Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1