Volutidae, common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm. They are marine gastropod mollusks. Most of the species have no operculum.
Distribution This family of sea snails are found mainly in tropical seas, though some species also inhabit the waters of the polar circles.
Description The large head has the eyes sessile on the sides below the base of the tentacles. The tentacles are far apart, united by a broad veil over the head. The mantle is sometimes greatly developed, covering the sides of the shell. The siphon is recurved, short, with auricles on each side of the base. The foot is very large, partly hiding the shell. There is no operculum.Adams, H. & Adams, A. (1853-1858). The genera of Recent Mollusca; arranged according to their organization. London, van Voorst. Vol. 1: xl + 484 pp.; vol. 2: 661 pp.; vol. 3: 138 pls
The shell shows distinct plaits on the columella. The apex of the spire is mamillated. The shells have an elongated aperture in their first whorl and an inner lip characterised by a number of deep plaits.
The family of Volutidae comprises a suite of large shells remarkable for their great beauty and elegance of form. The shell of species such as Melo amphora can grow as large as 50 cm (19.7 inches) in length.Poutiers, J. M. (1998). Gastropods in: FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes: The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Rome, FAO, 1998. page 597.
Volutes are distinguished by their distinctively marked spiral shells (to which the family name refers, voluta meaning "scroll" in Latin).
The elaborate decorations of the shells has made them a popular collector's item, with the imperial volute (Voluta imperialis) of the Philippines being particularly prized.
Taxonomy Subfamilies and tribes According to Bail & Poppe (2001)Bail, P. & Poppe, G. T. (2001). A taxonomic introduction to the recent Volutidae. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 30 pp., 5 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, . Volutidae can be subdivided into the following subfamilies and tribes: Amoriinae Gray, 1857 Tribe Amoriini Gray, 1857 Tribe Meloini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Tribe Notovolutini Bail & Poppe, 2001 Athletinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Calliotectinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Cymbiinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Tribe Adelomelonini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Tribe Alcithoini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Tribe Cymbiini H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Tribe Livoniini Bail & Poppe, 2001 Tribe Odontocymbiolini Clench & Turner, 1964 Tribe Zidonini H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 † Eovolutinae Pacaud, 2016 Fulgorariinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 † Indovolutinae Halder & S. S. Das, 2019 Plicolivinae Bouchet, 1990 Scaphellinae Gray, 1857 † Volutilithinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Volutinae Rafinesque, 1815 Tribe Lyriini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Tribe Volutini Rafinesque, 1815
Genera Genera within the Volutidae include: Adelomelon Dall, 1906 Alcithoe H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Amoria Gray, 1855Bail, P., Limpus, A. & Poppe, G. T. (2001): The Genus Amoria. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 50 pp., 93 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, . Ampulla Röding, 1798 Arctomelon Dall, 1915 Athleta Conrad, 1853 Callipara Gray, 1847 Calliotectum Dall, 1890 Capensisvoluta S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2022 Cymbiola Swainson, 1831 Cymbiolacca Cymbium Röding, 1798 Cymbium cymbium Cymbium glans Cymbium marmoratum Cymbium olla (Linnaeus, 1758) Cymbium pepo Enaeta H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853 Ericusa H. Adams and A. Adams, 1858 Festilyria Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954 Fulgoraria Schumacher, 1817Bail, P., Chino, M. & Terryn, Y. (2010). The Family Volutidae. The endemic Far East Asian subfamily Fulgorariinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954. A revision of the recent species. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 74 pp., 64 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, . Fusivoluta E. von Martens, 1902
Harpovoluta Thiele, 1912 Harpulina Dall, 1906 Iredalina Finlay, 1926 Leptoscapha Fischer, 1883 Livonia Gray, 1855 Lyria Gray, 1847 † Mauira Marwick, 1943 † Mauithoe Finlay, 1930 Melo Broderip in Sowerby I, 1826
† Metamelon Marwick, 1926 Minicymbiola Klappenbach, 1979 Miomelon Dall, 1907 † Mitreola Swainson, 1833 Nannamoria Iredale, 1929 Nanomelon Leal & Bouchet, 1989 Nataliavoluta S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2022 Neptuneopsis Sowerby III, 1898 Notopeplum Finlay, 1927 Notovoluta Cotton, 1946 Odontocymbiola Clench & Turner, 1964 Pachycymbiola Ihering, 1907 † Pachymelon Marwick, 1926 Paramoria McMichael, 1960 Plicoliva Petuch, 1979 Provocator Watson, 1882 Scaphella Swainson, 1832 Spinomelon Marwick, 1926 Tenebrincola Harasewych & Kantor, 1991 Teramachia Ternivoluta E. von Martens, 1897 Tractolira Dall, 1890 Voluta Linnaeus, 1758 Volutifusus Conrad, 1863 Volutoconus Crosse, 1871 Waihaoia Marwick, 1926 Zygomelon Harasewych & Marshall, 1995 Zidona H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853
References
Further reading ITIS "Volute." Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006. Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 Merle & Pacaud & Marivaux, Volutidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Lakhra Formation (Earliest Eocene, Sindh, Pakistan): systematics, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography; Zootaxa, 3826 (1) : 101–138, fig. 1-12, 2014
External links
Biodiversity Library: Maxwell Smith, A review of the Volutidae, Beal-Maltbie Shell Museum, Florida, 1942 Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642