Atys (genus)

Taxobox
name = "Atys"


image_width = 174px
image_caption = "Atys naucum"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Opisthobranchia
subordo = Cephalaspidea
superfamilia = Haminoeoidea
familia = Haminoeidae
genus = "Atys"
genus_authority = (Montfort, 1810)
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text.

"Atys" is a genus of very small to medium-sized sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Haminoeidae. All the species within the genus Atys are herbivores. They occur in tropical and warm oceans and seas. They are cephalaspideans, part of the suborder of headshield slugs and bubble snails.

The genus was named after Atys, a king of Alba Longa, who was mentioned in ancient Greek texts.

Description

These snails have a shell which is very lightweight and translucent, with a sunken spire. The shape of the shell in some species resembles a bubble, and because of this, species in this genus are commonly known as Atys bubble shells or Atys bubble snails. (Several other shelled families within the Cephalaspidea are even more commonly known as "bubble shells" or "bubble snails", for example, the Bullidae.)

The anatomy of the soft parts of most species within this genus has not been studied, but it seems that some of the species in this genus can not reliably be discriminated on the basis of shell characters alone. Unfortunately however, a considerable number of the species were originally named from empty shells, and as a result, their exact identity may be problematic.

pecies within the genus "Atys"

*"Atys angustatus" Smith, 1972
*"Atys beberkiriana" Martin, 1906
*"Atys blainvilliana" Récluz, 1843 (probably a synonym of "Atys jeffreysi")
**Distribution : Mediterranean, Turkey
*"Atys brocchii" Michelotti, 1847
**Distribution : Mediterranean, Turkey
*"Atys caribaeus" d'Orbigny, 1841 Also known as Caribbean glassy-bubble, Sharp’s paper-bubble
**Distribution : Florida, Caribbean, Brazil, Western Atlantic Ocean.
**Length : 11 mm
**Description : found at depths up to 183 m; small ovate white shell, narrowing toward the apex; sunken spire; body whorl has spiral grooves at the edges; narrow aperture
*"Atys casta" Carpenter, 1864 Clean glassy-bubble
**Distribution : Baja California, Mexico
**Length : 10 mm
*"Atys chelidon" Melvill, 1912
*"Atys cheverti" Brazier, 1879
*"Atys chimera" Baker & Hanna, 1927
**Distribution : Baja California, Mexico
**Length : 7 mm
*"Atys constrictus" Habe, 1952
*"Atys convexa" Preston, 1908
*"Atys costulosa" Pease, 1869
*"Atys curta" A. Adams, 1850 Striate bubble
*"Atys cylindrica" Hinds, 1779
**Distribution : Indo-Pacific
**Length : 30 mm
**Description : Thin, fragile, subcylindrical shell with sunken apex. Color is white or very light brown. it may have a few brown axial lines.
*"Atys dactylus" Hedley, 1899
*"Atys darnleyensis" Brazier, 1879
*"Atys debilis" Pease, 1871
**Distribution : Hawaii
**Length : 10 mm
**Description : on sandy bottoms where they burrow through the sand with their flattened headshield for food like small crustaceans.
*"Atys dubiosa" Brazier, 1879
*"Atys ehrenbergi" A. Issel, 1869 (possibly = "Atys naucum")
**Distribution : Red Sea
**Length : 11 mm
*"Atys flavovirens" Melvill & Standen, 1903
*"Atys fukuokaensis" Habe
**Distribution: Japan
*"Atys guildingi" Sowerby II, 1869 Guildin’s atys
**Distribution: Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Brazil
**Length : 12 mm
**Description : found at depths up to 25 m
*"Atys hyalina" Watson, 1883
*"Atys jeffreysi" Weinkauff, 1868
**Distribution : Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Mediterranean
*"Atys kekele" Pilsbry, 1920
*"Atys kuhnsi" Pilsbry, 1917
*"Atys liriope" Hertlein & Strong, 1951
**Distribution : California, Mexico
**Length : 10 mm
*"Atys lithensis" Sturany, 1903
*"Atys macandrawii" E.A. Smith, 1872
**Distribution : Caribbean, Brazil, Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde Islands
**Length : 7.3 mm
**Description : found at depths of up to 75 m
*"Atys mirandae" Smith, 1872
*"Atys multistriata" Schepman, 1913
**Distribution : Micronesia, Philippines
**Length : 12 mm
**Description : short headshield, broadened anteriorly, with internal black eyes. Short posterior lobes. Triangulate parapodia cover the anterior of the shell; short, rounded tail; The translucent Hancock’s organs appear as a thin low profile ridge. Translucent white animal with brown spots and clusters of opaque white dots; thin, elongate, ovoid shell; inner margin of the outer lip extends above the apex; slightly curved columella; deep umbilicus behind the fold
*"Atys muscaria" Gould, 1859
*"Atys naucum" Linnaeus, 1758 White nut sheath bubble, Pacific nut sheath bubble
**Distribution : Indo-Pacific (excluding the Red Sea), Australia
**Length : 22-50 mm
**Description : common species; light brown inflated bubble shell;: the brown color comes from the periostracum, covering the shell; this flakes off when the snail dies; juveniles have lengthwise brown wavy lines on the shell.
*"Atys neglecta" Preston, 1908
*"Atys nonscriptus" Clean-slate glassy-bubble
*"Atys obscuratus" Dall, 1896 Obscure glassy-bubble
**Distribution : North Carolina
**Length : 4 mm
*"Atys okamotoi" Habe, 1952
*"Atys pacei" Preston, 1908
*"Atys palmarum" Hedley, 1912
*"Atys porcellana" Gould, 1859
*"Atys pransa" Hedley, 1904
*"Atys pulchra" Brazier, 1879
*"Atys reliquua" Iredale, 1936
*"Atys riiseanus" Mörch, 1875
**Distribution : Florida, Caribbean, Brazil
**Length : 13 mm
**Description : found at depths up to 90 m
*"Atys sandersoni" Dall, 1881
**Distribution : North Carolina, Cuba, Pnama, Brazil
**Length : 8 mm
*"Atys scrobiculata" A. Adams, 1862
*"Atys semistriata" Pease, 1860 Variably banded atys, variable banded bubble
**Distribution : West Pacific
**Length : 6 mm
*"Atys submalleata" Smith, 1904
*"Atys supracancellata" Schepman, 1913
*"Atys vixumbilicata" Preston, 1908
*"Atys xarifae" Marcus, 1959

References

Books

* Redfern, Colin, 2001, "Bahamian Seashells, a thousand species from Abaco, Bahamas", published by BahamianSeashells.com Inc

External links

* Excellent images of living animals of numerous species, along with life information, can be found by searching for "Atys" listings at the Sea Slug Forum: [http://www.seaslugforum.net/search_species.cfm]
* Some info and
http://www.gastropods.com/1/Shell_4031.html]

* More info: [http://shells.tricity.wsu.edu/archerdshellcollection/Gastropoda/Haminoeidae.html]