Naticidae
Naticidae, common name moon snails or necklace shells, is a family of medium to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha. The shells of the species in this family are mostly globular in shape.
| Naticidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| A live individual of Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786), viewed from the front | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: | Naticoidea |
| Family: | Naticidae Guilding, 1834 |
| Type genus | |
| Pseudomelatoma Dall, 1918 | |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
| Diversity | |
| 260–270 Recent species | |
Naticidae is the only family in the superfamily Naticoidea.
It has been estimated that worldwide there are about 260–270 recent species of naticid snails. This group is assumed to have originated in the late Triassic or in the early Jurassic. Members of this family can be recognized by the shape of their shells, distinct appearance, or by their predatory behavior.
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