Stomatellidae

Taxobox
name = Stomatellidae


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Vetigastropoda
superfamilia = Trochoidea
familia = Stomatellidae
familia_authority = Gray, 1840
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.

"Stomatellidae" is a taxonomic family of small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the suborder Vetigastropoda.

(Note: Gastropod taxonomy has been in flux for more than half a century, and this is especially true currently, because of new research in molecular phylogeny. Because of all the on-going changes, different reliable sources can yield very different classifications.)

Description

These are mostly small shells, depressed, of few whorls, the last with a very large aperture from which the whole of the interior of the body whorl is visible. The operculum is absent in most of the genera.

The interior of the shell is iridescent because of a layer of nacre.

Genera within the family "Stomatellidae"

* "Broderipia" Gray, 1847
* "Roya" Iredale, 1912
* "Stomatella" Lamarck, 1816
* "Stomatia" Helbling, 1779
* "Syncera"

References

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