Odostomiidae

Taxobox
name = Odostomiidae


image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Odostomia pallida", "O. conoidea", "O. conspicua", "O. truncatula"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
ordo = Heterostropha
superfamilia = Pyramidelloidea
familia = Odostomiidae
familia_authority = P. Pelseneer, 1928
subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
subdivision = See text.

Odostomiidae, "Odostomia" snails and their allies, is a taxonomic family of minute parasitic sea snails. These are marine heterobranch gastropod mollusks, or micromollusks, in the superfamily Pyramidelloidea.

ystematics

According to Schander, van Aartsen & Corgan (1999) there are four subfamilies within the family. Other Authors (e.g. Ponder & Lindberg, 1997 & Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005) considers Odostomiidae to be a part of the family Pyramidellidae.

Taxonomy of Schander, Van Aartsen & Corgan (1999)

**Family Odostomiidae Pelseneer, 1928
***Subfamily Odostomiinae Pelseneer, 1928
***Subfamily Chrysallidinae Saurin, 1958
***Subfamily Odostomellinae Saurin, 1958
***Subfamily Cyclostremellinae Moore, 1966

Distribution

This family is found worldwide, From the tropics to the poles.

hell description

The shell of these snails has a blunt, heterostrophic protoconch, which is often pointed sideways or wrapped up. Most species in the family have shells which are smaller than 13 mm. The texture of these shells is most often smooth but sometimes sculptured in various forms such as ribs and spirals. Their color is mostly white, cream or yellowish, sometimes with red or brown lines. The teleoconch is coiled, but the larval shells are . This results in a sinistrally coiled protoconch. The columella has usually one, but sometimes several, spiral folds. The aperture is closed by an operculum.

Life habits

The Odostomiidae are ectoparasites, feeding mainly on other molluscs and on annelid worms, but some are known to feed on peanut worms and crustaceans (e.g. Sneli, 1972).

They do not have a radula. Instead their long proboscis is used to pierce the skin of its prey and suck up its fluids and soft tissues. The eyes on the grooved tentacles are situated toward the base of the tentacles. Between the head and the foot, a lobed process called the mentum ( = thin projection) is visible. These molluscs are hermaphrodites.

References

* cite journal
author = Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P.
year = 2005
date=
title = Classification and Nomenclator of Gastropod Families
journal = Malacologia
volume =53
issue = 1-2
pages = 1–397
issn =
doi =
* cite journal
author = Pelseneer, P.
year = 1928
date=
title = Les Parasites des Mollusques et les Mollusques parasites
journal = Bulletin de la Sociéte Zoologique de France/Évolution et Zoologie
volume = 53
issue =
pages = 158–189
issn =
doi =
* cite journal
author = Ponder, W.F. & Lindberg, D. R.
year = 1997
date=
title = Towards a phylogeny of gastropod molluscs: an analysis using morphological characters
journal = Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
volume =119
issue =
pages = 88–265
issn =
doi =
* cite journal
author = Schander, C., van Aartsen, J. J., Corgan, J. C.
year = 1999
date=
title = Families and genera of the Pyramidelloidea (Mollusca: Gastropoda)
journal = Bollettino Malacologico
volume =34
issue = 9-12
pages = 145–166
issn =
doi =
* cite journal
author = Sneli, J.-A.
year = 1972
date=
title = Odostomia turrita found on Hommarus gammarus
journal = Nautilus
volume =86
issue = 1
pages = 23–24
issn =
doi =