Ficidae

Ficus gracilis

The fig snails ( Ficidae ) are a family of marine snails that are found in shallow tropical seas. They are predators and feed on polychaetes.

Features

The housings are rechtsgewunden and niedrigkonisch. The muzzle is long and narrow. The lower end is usually drawn out into a long Siphonalkanal. The adult size of housing ranges from about 4 to 13 cm. They are usually almost completely covered by two mantle lobes. The distance is relatively large, as is the Propodium. There is no operculum present. The head is small with tentacles; at their basal thickening sit eyes. The animals are dioecious. The early development has hardly been studied. The few present findings suggest a yolk- rich development towards ( hatching of finished little critters, no veliger larvae).

Way of life

The representatives of the family living on sandy and muddy bottoms in the intertidal and shallow coastal water. Few species penetrate into deeper areas before ( to 800 m). The animals move with her big feet above the sediment and hunt there polychaetes.

System

The more systematic breakdown of the family is uncertain. There are up to four genera or subgenera distinguished ( Ficus ):

• Ficidae Meek, 1864 Ficus ( snail) Röding, 1798
• Fulguroficus Grabau, 1904 ( usually only as subgenera of Ficus )
• Priscoficus Conrad, 1866 ( usually only as subgenera of Ficus )
• Ficopsis Conrad, 1864 (usually only as subgenera of Ficus )