Distribution
This family of sea snails are found mainly in tropics, 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.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. Volutes are distinguished by their distinctively marked spiral shells (to which the family name refers, ''voluta'' meaning "scroll" in Latin language, Latin). The shells have an elongated aperture in their first whorl and an inner lip characterised by a number of deep plait (gastropod), plaits. The elaborate decorations of the shells has made them a popular collectors' item, with the imperial volute (''Cymbiola imperialis, Voluta imperialis'') of the Philippines being particularly prized.Taxonomy
Subfamilies and tribes
According to Bail & Poppe (2001)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, . Volutidae can be subdivided into the following Subfamilies and tribes: *Amoriinae Gray, 1857 **Tribe Meloini Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 **Tribe Amoriini Gray, 1857 *Athletinae Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 *Calliotectinae Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 *Cymbiinae Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams & Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1853 **Tribe Adelomelonini Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 **Tribe Alcithoini Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 **Tribe Cymbiini Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams & Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1853 **Tribe Livoniini Bail & Poppe, 2001 **Tribe Odontocymbiolini Clench & Turner, 1964 **Tribe Zidonini Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams & Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1853 *Fulgorariinae Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 *Plicolivinae Bpichet, 1990 *Scaphellinae Gray, 1857 *Volutinae **Tribe Lyriini Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 **Tribe Volutini Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, Rafinesque, 1815Genera
Genera within the Volutidae include: * ''Adelomelon'' William Healey Dall, Dall, 1906 * ''Alcithoe'' Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams & Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1853 * ''Amoria (gastropod), Amoria'' Gray, 1855Bail, 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, . * ''Ampulla'' Röding, 1798 * ''Arctomelon'' William Healey Dall, Dall, 1915 * ''Athleta'' Conrad, 1853 * ''Callipara'' Gray, 1847 * ''Calliotectum'' William Healey Dall, Dall, 1890 * ''Cymbiola'' Swainson, 1831 * ''Cymbiolacca'' * ''Cymbium (gastropod), Cymbium'' Röding, 1798 **''Cymbium cymbium'' **''Cymbium glans'' **''Cymbium marmoratum'' **''Cymbium olla'' (Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus, 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 1758) **''Cymbium pepo'' * ''Enaeta'' Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams and Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1853 * ''Ericusa'' Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams and Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1858 * ''Festilyria'' Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 * ''Fulgoraria'' Schumacher, 1817Bail, 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, . * ''Fusivoluta'' E. von Martens, 1902 * ''Harpovoluta'' Thiele, 1912 * ''Harpulina'' William Healey Dall, Dall, 1906 * ''Iredalina'' Harold John Finlay, Finlay, 1926 * ''Leptoscapha'' Fischer, 1883 * ''Livonia (gastropod), Livonia'' Gray, 1855 * ''Lyria (gastropod), Lyria'' Gray, 1847 * † ''Mauira'' Marwick, 1943 * † ''Mauithoe'' Finlay, 1930 * ''Melo (gastropod), Melo'' Broderip in Sowerby I, 1826 * † ''Metamelon'' Marwick, 1926 * ''Minicymbiola'' Klappenbach, 1979 * ''Miomelon'' William Healey Dall, Dall, 1907 * † ''Mitreola (gastropod), 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'' John Marwick, Marwick, 1926 * ''Paramoria'' McMichael, 1960 * ''Plicoliva'' Petuch, 1979 * ''Provocator (gastropod), Provocator'' Watson, 1882 * ''Scaphella'' William John Swainson, Swainson, 1832 * ''Spinomelon'' Marwick, 1926 * ''Tenebrincola'' Harasewych & Kantor, 1991 * ''Teramachia'' * ''Tractolira'' William Healey Dall, Dall, 1890 * ''Voluta'' Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus, 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 1758 * ''Volutifusus'' Conrad, 1863 * ''Volutoconus'' Crosse, 1871 * ''Waihaoia'' John Marwick, Marwick, 1926 * ''Zygomelon'' Harasewych & Marshall, 1995 * ''Zidona'' Henry Adams (zoologist), H. Adams and Arthur Adams (zoologist), A. Adams, 1853References
External links