Volutoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda.

This superfamily includes the chank snails, the dove snails, the volutes, the margin snails and others.

Shell description

The shell of the snails in this superfamily vary greatly in shape and degree of ornamentation. The shells have an oval aperture, and a noticeable siphonal canal.

Families

Families within the superfamily Volutoidea are as follows:

  • family Cancellariidae <small>Forbes & Hanley, 1851</small>
  • family Cystiscidae <small>Stimpson, 1865</small> -- 15 genera
  • family Granulinidae <small>G. A. Coovert & H. K. Coovert, 1995</small>
  • family Marginellidae <small>Fleming, 1828</small> -- 30 genera
  • family Marginellonidae <small>Coan, 1965</small>
  • family Volutidae <small>Rafinesque, 1815</small> -- 49 genera

;Synonyms:

  • Paladmetidae <small>Stephenson, 1941</small> † synonym of Admetinae <small>Troschel, 1865</small>
  • Plesiocystiscidae <small>G. A. Coovert & H. K. Coovert, 1995</small>: synonym of Plesiocystiscinae <small>G. A. Coovert & H. K. Coovert, 1995</small>

<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed">

Image:Persicula cingulata 01.JPG|Persicula cingulata, Cystiscidae

Image:Marginella glabella 01.JPG|Marginella glabella, Marginellidae

Image:Cymbiola nobilis 01.jpg|Cymbiola nobilis, Volutidae

</gallery>

References

  • 1997. Towards a phylogeny of gastropod molluscs: an analysis using morphological characters. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 119(2): 83-265.
  • (2017). Revised classification, nomenclator and typification of gastropod and monoplacophoran families. Malacologia. 61(1-2): 1–526.