Amathinidae

Housing of Amathina tricarinata

The Amathinidae are a family usually very small to small, exclusively marine snails within the Heterobranchia. They live as ectoparasites on mussels.

Features

The housing of the Amathinidae outwardly resemble those of limpets or by beach snails and usually have a well-trained periostracum. There is a clear spirally extending sculpturing while axially at best weak lamellae are formed. Protoconch in some species is the linksgewunden, while the rest of the housing is rechtsgewunden. An operculum is present only in some species.

The foot of the Amathinidae is divided into a thin, movable Mesopodium and a disc-shaped, slightly notched at the center line Metapodium. The eyes are located between the two hares ear-like antennae. In contrast to the related Pyramidellidae the Amathinidae do not Hypobranchialdrüse, however, is located in the mantle cavity to the right of the folded gill a large mantle gland.

The snails have a very long and thin snout, are drilled by means of which host animals. Jaw and radula absent, as stilettos on trunk. Instead of pines a chitinous flap-like structure is present.

The animals are hermaphrodites, which simultaneously produce sperm and egg cells. The tapered penis is retractable into a tube under the nerve ring.

The animals live, if known, as ectoparasites of shells.

System

After Bouchet and Rocroi (2005) the Amathinidae family with the family Pyramidellidae JE Gray, 1840, the superfamily Pyramidelloidea forms. The Amathinidae family has about 30 species in six genera.

The genera in the family Amathinidae are:

• Amathina Gray, 1842
• Clathrella Recluz, 1864
• Cyclothyca Stearns, 1891
• Iselica Dall, 1918
• Leucotina A. Adams, 1860
• Plicifer H. Adams, 1868

The two genera Adelactaeon Cossmann, 1895 and Myonia A. Adams, 1860 are synonyms of Leucotina A. Adams, 1860.