Acteonidae


Acteonidae, common name the "barrel bubble snails", is a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks of the informal group Lower Heterobranchia.

Shell description

The shell is usually smaller than 25 mm. The shell of these sand-dwelling micromollusks is small, but it is large enough to house the retracted soft parts including the entire mantle.
The aperture is elongated. The narrow shell aperture, which is ovate and pointed on the top, can be closed with a corneous operculum.
The thick shell is oviform to fusiform, with a short conical apex. They have spiral sculpturing. The elongated aperture opens up from narrow at the posterior notch to enlarged at the base. The base of the columella has several characteristic plaits.

Anatomy

The radula has no central tooth, and there are five or six laterals on each side. The teeth are very similar in shape and size across the radula, which is specialised for a diet of polychaete worms.
The eggs are enclosed in a long, gelatinous mass, which is attached to the substrate with a short stalk.
The foot is with operculum.

Ecology

Acteonidae occur in warm seas in shallow and deep water.
Animals predate polychaetes.

Genera

Genera within the family Acteonidae include:
Genus Acteon Montfort, 1810 - type genus
† Genus Acteonina d'Orbigny, 1850
Genus Bathyacteon Valdés, 2008
Genus Callostracon Repetto & Bianco, 2012
† Genus Colostracon Hamlin, 1884
Genus Crenilabium Cossmann, 1889
Genus Inopinodon Bouchet, 1975
Genus Japonactaeon Taki, 1956
Genus Lanayrella Salvador & C. Cunha, 2020
Genus Liocarenus Harris & Burrows, 1891Liocarenus globulinus Forbes, 1844
  • * Distribution : Atlantic, Mediterranean
Genus Lissacteon Monterosato, 1890
Genus Maxacteon Rudman, 1971
Genus Mysouffa Marcus, 1974Mysouffa cumingii
Genus Neactaeonina [Johannes Johannes Thiele (zoologist)|Thiele (zoologist)|Thiele], 1912
Genus Obrussena Iredale, 1930Obrussena bracteata Iredale, 1930
  • * Distribution : AustraliaObrussena moeshimaensis T. Habe, 1952
  • * Distribution : Japan
Genus Ongleya Finlay & Marwick, 1937
Genus Ovulacteon Dall, 1889Ovulacteon meekii Dall, 1889
  • * Distribution : Cuba, Bahamas, East Brazil
  • * Length : 5.5 mm
  • * Description : found at depths of 360 to 820 m
Genus Pseudactaeon Thiele, 1925.Pseudactaeon albus Sowerby III, 1873
Genus Punctacteon Kuroda & Habe, 1961Punctacteon amakusaensis T. Habe, 1949
  • * Distribution : Indo-PacificPunctacteon cebuanus Lan, 1985
  • * Distribution : PhilippinesPunctacteon eloisae Abbott, 1973 Eloise’s acteon
  • * Distribution : Red Sea, Oman.
  • * Length : 25–38 mm
  • * Description: sublittoral on sandy bottoms; cream-colored shell with 5 convex whorls, each whorl with many spiral windings; each whorl is filled with red-brown separate patterns with dark brown to black borders; similar to Maxacteon flammea.Punctacteon fabreanus
  • * Distribution : Philippines
  • * Length : 17–30 mm
  • * Description : white shell with five whorls, each whorl filled with light brown bands covering the many spirals of each whorl.Punctacteon kajiyamai T. Habe, 1976
  • * Distribution : Indo-PacificPunctacteon kawamurai T. Habe, 1952
  • * Distribution : JapanPunctacteon kirai T. Habe, 1949
  • * Distribution : Indo-Pacific off the Philippines
  • * Length : 20 mm
  • * Description : shell whitish to brownish; five whorls, first whorl being the largest; each whorl has many spiral windings; outer lip is notched.Punctacteon variegatus Bruguière, 1789 Pink-spotted acteon
  • * Distribution : Philippines, West Australia.
  • * Length : 9–27 mm
  • * Description : sublittoral on sandy bottoms; convex, cream-colored shell with five whorls, each whorls is covered with transverse pink-colored to light brown patterns, without dark borders; whirls with prominent shoulder.
Genus Pupa Röding, 1798:
Genus Rapturella Salvador & C. Cunha, 2016
Genus Rictaxis Dall, 1871:
Genus Tenuiacteon Aldrich, 1921Tenuiacteon ambiguus Hutton, 1885
Genus Tomlinula Strand, 1932Tomlinula turrita Watson, 1886
† Genus Volvaria Lamarck, 1801
;Genera brought into synonymy:Actaeon Ersch & Gruber, 1818: synonym of Acteon Montfort, 1810
  • † Actaeonidea Gabb, 1872: synonym of Rictaxis Dall, 1871Buccinulus H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Callostracon sensu Nordsieck, 1972: synonym of † Colostracon Hamlin, 1884 Crenilabrum Kobelt, 1892: synonym of Crenilabium Cossmann, 1889Dactylus Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Japonacteon : synonym of Japonactaeon Taki, 1956Lissactaeon Monterosato, 1890: synonym of Crenilabium Cossmann, 1889Neoacteonina : synonym of Neactaeonina Thiele, 1912Obrussa Iredale, 1925: synonym of Obrussena Iredale, 1930Solidula Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Strigopupa Habe, 1958: synonym of Pupa Röding, 1798Tornatella Lamarck, 1816: synonym of Acteon Montfort, 1810