Barleeiidae (often also spelled Barleeidae) is a family of minute sea snails, micromollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha.[1]
These snails are very abundant and live in sublittoral and intertidal waters on rocky substrates.
The shells are conical to high-spired. Their inner shell layer is chitinous. They are further characterized by a foot with sometimes a posterior mucous gland. Their olfactory organ, the osphradium is enlarged. In some species there are oesophageal pouches present. Their penis is sometimes provided with prostatic tissue. Their oviduct glands show a simple histology.[2]
Few malacologists are currently working on micromollusks. Since they are so small (only a few millimeters in size), they are difficult to study and classify. Therefore, these small mollusks are less well known than the larger ones.
Genera in the family Baleeiidae include: