''Carinaria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of medium-sized floating sea snails,

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or wa ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Carinariidae Carinariidae, known by the common name "heteropods" like their relatives in the Pterotracheoidea, is a taxonomic family of swimming or floating sea snails, pelagic marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha. Distribution The snails ...

Anatomy

The cylindrical and elongate body consists of three parts : a short

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

, a well-developed trunk and tail region of variable size. The size of this tail goes from very small in ''Carinaria galea'' to very large in ''Carinaria cristata''. The well-developed swimming fin is located in both sexes at the back of the trunk and has at its back margin a small fin sucker. The right

tentacle In zoology, a tentacle is a flexible, mobile, and elongated organ present in some species of animals, most of them invertebrates. In animal anatomy, tentacles usually occur in one or more pairs. Anatomically, the tentacles of animals work main ...

is small or vestigial. The

cuticle A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...

is thick and gelatinous. The shells are known as “Venus slippers.”

Species

The

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialist ...

includes the following species within the genus ''Carinaria'': * ''

Carinaria cithara ''Carinaria'' is a genus of medium-sized floating sea snails, pelagic gastropod molluscs in the family Carinariidae. Anatomy The cylindrical and elongate body consists of three parts : a short proboscis, a well-developed trunk and tail region ...

'' Benson, 1835 – harp carinaria * '' Carinaria cristata'' (Linnaeus, 1767) – Indo-Pacific * ''

Carinaria galea ''Carinaria galea'', common name the helmeted carinaria, is a species of sea snail, a marine pelagic marine gastropod mollusc in the family Carinariidae. It was first described in 1835 by William Henry Benson, an amateur malacologist in the Ben ...

'' Benson, 1835 – helmet carinaria; Indo-Pacific * '' Carinaria japonica'' Okutani, 1955 – Japan, North Pacific * ''

Carinaria lamarckii ''Carinaria lamarckii'' is a species of sea gastropod, a holoplanktonic marine gastropod mollusk in the family Carinariidae.Rosenberg, G. (2011). Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http: ...

'' Blainville, 1817 * '' Carinaria pseudorugosa'' Vayssière, 1904 :Species brought into synonymy: * ''Carinaria atlantica'' Adams & Reeve, 1850: synonym of ''Carinaria lamarckii'' Blainville, 1817 * ''Carinaria australis'' Quoy & Gaimard, 1833: synonym of ''Carinaria lamarckii'' Blainville, 1817 * ''Carinaria challengeri'' Bonnevie, 1920: synonym of ''Carinaria pseudorugosa'' Vayssière, 1904 * ''Carinaria grimaldii'' Vayssière, 1904: synonym of ''Carinaria lamarckii'' Blainville, 1817 * ''Carinaria lamarcki'' Péron & Lesueur, 1810: synonym of ''Carinaria lamarckii'' Blainville, 1817 * ''Carinaria mediterranea'' Blainville, 1825: synonym of ''Carinaria lamarckii'' Blainville, 1817 * ''Carinaria punctata'' d'Orbigny, 1836: synonym of ''Carinaria lamarckii'' Blainville, 1817

Anatomy

Species

References

Further reading