Caecidae is a
taxonomic family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of very small and minute
sea snails or
micromollusc
A micromollusk is a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also r ...
s,
marine gastropod molluscs in the order
Littorinimorpha
Littorinimorpha is a large order of snails, gastropods, consisting primarily of sea snails (marine species), but also including some freshwater snails ( aquatic species) and land snails ( terrestrial species).Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frý ...
.
[Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2013). Caecidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126 on 2013-06-04]
Habitat
These minute tubular shells can be found living in
marine sediment, or among algae or sponges, in warm and temperate seas.
Shell description
The shells in this family, are unusual in that the adult shell is a curving tube. In the subfamily Caecinae the protoconch is lost and the tube is sealed with a permanent calcareous plug at one end. In the subfamilies Ctiloceratinae and Strebloceratinae the protoconch is retained. At the other end the tube is sealed by a circular
operculum. The spiral part is almost always lost when outgrowing the juvenile stage. The color of the shell is white to pale yellow.
Taxonomy
This family contains three subfamilies :
* Caecinae
Gray, 1850
* Ctiloceratinae
Iredale & Laseron, 1957
* Strebloceratinae
Bandel, 1996
Genera
* ''
Caecum
The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The wo ...
''
Fleming, 1813
* ''
Carinocera''
Iredale & Laseron, 1957
* ''
Ctiloceras''
R. B. Watson, 1886
* ''
Elephantanellum''
Bartsch, 1920
* ''
Elephantulum''
Carpenter, 1856
* ''
Enigmerces''
Iredale & Laseron, 1957
* ''
Fartulum''
Carpenter, 1857
* ''
Gladioceras''
Iredale & Laseron, 1957
*''
Jayella''
Iredale & Laseron, 1957WoRMS : Jayella
accessed : 18 October 2010
* '' Mauroceras'' Vannozzi, 2019
* '' Meioceras'' Carpenter, 1859
* '' Parastrophia'' de Folin, 1870
* '' Ponderoceras'' Bandel, 1996
* '' Pseudoparastrophia''
* '' Strebloceras'' Carpenter 1859
* '' Torresella'' Iredale & Laseron, 1957
*'' Transcopia'' Iredale & Laseron, 1957
* '' Watsonia'' de Folin, 1880 (possibly synonymous with ''Parastrophia'')
; Genera brought into synonymy :
* ''Brochina'' Gray, 1857: synonym of ''Caecum'' Fleming, 1813
* ''Brochus'' T. Brown, 1827: synonym of ''Caecum'' Fleming, 1813
* ''Micranellum'' Bartsch 1900: synonym of ''Caecum'' Fleming, 1813
* ''Moreletia'' de Folin, 1869: synonym of ''Parastrophia'' de Folin, 1869
* ''Odontidium'' Philippi, 1836: synonym of ''Caecum'' Fleming, 1813
* ''Pedumicra'' Iredale & Laseron, 1957: synonym of ''Parastrophia'' de Folin, 1869
* ''Phleboceras'' de Folin, 1868: synonym of ''Strebloceras'' Carpenter, 1859
* ''Pictocaecum'' Habe 1978: synonym of ''Caecum'' Fleming, 1813
* ''Spirolidium'' O. G. Costa, 1861: synonym of ''Parastrophia'' de Folin, 1869: synonym
References
Folin L. de (1875) ''Monographie de la famille des Caecidae''. Bulletin de la Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Bayonne, 1: 103-131, 1 pl
* Vaught, K.C. (1989). ''A classification of the living Mollusca''. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp
* Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (2005). ''Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families''. Malacologia 47(1-2): 1-397
* Pizzini M., Raines B. & Vannozzi A. (2013) ''The family Caecidae in the South-West Pacific (Gastropoda: Rissooidea).'' Bollettino Malacologico, 49 (suppl. 10): 1-78.
WoRMS : Caecidae
accessed : 18 October 2010
*
* Powell A. W. B., ''New Zealand Mollusca'', William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3173685
Taxa named by John Edward Gray