Cymbuliidae Explained

Cymbuliidae is a family of pelagic sea snails or "sea butterflies", marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cymbulioidea.

Description

Instead of an external calcareous shell, they possess a pseudoconch, consisting of conchiolin, a cartilaginous tissue. The mantle and the gill have disappeared as well. They breathe through the skin. They prefer warm water.

Distribution

Cymbuliidae are found in all marine waters between -54 and 55°N.^[1]

Subfamilies

The family Cymbuliidae consists of two following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):

• subfamily Cymbuliinae Gray, 1840
• subfamily Glebinae van der Spoel, 1976^[2]

Genera

Genera within the family Cymbuliidae include:

subfamily Cymbuliinae

• Cymbulia Péron & Lesueur, 1810 - type genus of the family Cymbuliidae
  • Cymbulia parvidentata Pelseneer, 1888^[3] - Distribution: Bermuda, Oceanic. Length: 35 mm.
  • Cymbulia peronii Lamarck, 1819^[4] - Distribution: Florida, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Oceanic. Length: 65 mm.
  • Cymbulia sibogae Tesch, 1903^[5] - Distribution: Brazil, Argentina, Oceanic. Length: 24 mm.
• Corolla Dall, 1871

subfamily Glebinae

• Gleba Forsskål, 1776 - type genus of the subfamily Glebinae
  • Gleba chrysosticta Troschel, 1854:^[6] synonym of Corolla chrysosticta (Troschel, 1854)
  • Gleba cordata Forskål, 1776^[7] - Distribution: Florida, Bermuda, Oceanic. Length: 45 mm.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Measurements and facts about Cymbuliidae - Encyclopedia of Life. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140415105938/http://eol.org/pages/2672/data . 2014-04-15 .
2. van der Spoel (1976). Pseudotecosomata, Gymnosomata and Heteropoda (Gastropoda). page 40.
3. Gofas, S. (2010). Cymbulia parvidentata Pelseneer, 1888. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139493 on 2010-12-18
4. Gofas, S. (2010). Cymbulia peronii Lamarck, 1819. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139494 on 2010-12-18
5. Rosenberg, G. (2010). Cymbulia sibogae Tesch, 1903. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=532721 on 2010-12-18
6. Gofas, S. (2010). Gleba chrysosticta (Troschel, 1854). In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139495 on 2010-12-18
7. Gofas, S. (2010). Gleba cordata Forskål, 1776. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139496 on 2010-12-18