Aporrhaidae is a family of sea snails commonly called the "pelican's foot snails." The taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdes A. & Warén A. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. . ISSN 0076-2997. 397 pp. https://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/imis2/ref.php?refid=78278 categorizes Aporrhaidae as marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha.
Aporrhaids are commercially important, especially in traditional fisheries.
Description Aporrhaids have a large lip with finger-like extensions, and a small operculum. They do not have movable eyes. Instead, their eyes are fixed at the base of each tentacle.
The mollusk has one narrow foot, which renders its motion interrupted as the foot must raise the shell a tiny bit in each single movement, simultaneously pushing it forward. The motion must be repeated again and again for the mollusk to travel.
Habitat Aporrhaidae live on muddy and sandy bottoms, sometimes in very large populations.
Subfamilies Subfamilies in the family Aporrhaidae include: Aporrhainae Gray, 1850 - synonym: Chenopidae Deshayes, 1865 Arrhoginae Popenoe, 1983 - synonyms: Alariidae Koken, 1889 (inv.); Dicrolomatidae Korotkov, 1992 † Harpagonidae Pchelintsev, 1963 † Perissopterinae Korotkov, 1992 - synonym: Struthiopterinae Zinsmeister & Griffin, 1995 † Spinigerinae Korotkov, 1992 (inv.)
Genera There are only two Recent genera:Gofas, S. (2012). Aporrhaidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=22988 on 2012-09-27Kronenberg, G.C. 1991: The Recent species of the family Aporrhaidae. Vita marina, 41(2): 73-84. Aporrhais da Costa, 1778 Arrhoges Gabb, 1868 † Dicroloma Gabb, 1868 † Drepanocheilus Meek, 1864 † Hemichenopus Steinmann & Wilckens, 1908 † Struthioptera Finlay & Marwick, 1937
Fossil genera within the family Aporrhaidae include: Alarimella Saul, 1998 Anchura Conrad, 1860 Antarctohoges Stilwell & Zinsmeister, 1992 Araeodactylus Harris & Burrows, 1891 Auriala Hacobjan, 1976 Austroaporrhais Zinsmeister & Griffin, 1995 Bicorempterus Gründel, 2001 Ceratosiphon Gill, 1870 Cultrigera Böhm, 1885 Cuphosolenus Piette, 1876 Cuphotifer Piette, 1876 Cyclomolops Gabb, 1868 Diarthema Piette, 1864 Digitolabrum Cossmann, 1904 Dimorphosoma Gardner, 1875 Graciliala Sohl, 1960 Goniocheila Gabb, 1868 Helicaulax Gabb, 1868 Kangilioptera Rosenkrantz, 1970 Kaunhowenia Abdel Gawad, 1986 Latiala Sohl, 1960 Lispodesthes White, 1875 Maussenetia Cossmann, 1904 Mexopus Kiel & Perrilliat, 2001 Monocuphus Piette, 1876 Perissopter Tate, 1865 Peruchilus Olsson, 1931 Pietteia Cossmann, 1904 Platyoptera Conrad, 1855 Pseudanchura Kollmann, 2005 Pterocerella Meek, 1864 Pugioptera Pchelincev, 1953 Strombopugnellus Koch, 1911 Struthiochenopus Zinsmeister & Griffin, 1995 Teneposita Loch, 1989 Tessarolax Gabb, 1864 Tibiaporrhais Elder, 1990 Toarctocera Gründel, Nützel & Schulbert, 2009Gründel, J., Nützel A. & Schulbert C. (24 July) 2009. Toarctocera (Gastropoda, Aporrhaidae): a new genus from the Jurassic (Toarcian/Aalenian) of South Germany and the early evolutionary history of the family Aporrhaidae. Paläontologische Zeitschrift (online), PDF - type species: Rostellaria subpunctata - Toarctocera subpunctata (von Munster in Goldfuss, 1826–1844) Trilemma Blagovetshenskiy & Shumilkin, 2006 Tulochilus Finlay & Marwick, 1937 Tundora Stephenson, 1941 Ueckeritzella Gründel, 1998 Wateletia Cossmann, 1889
References
Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp.
External links
Gastropoda Stromboidea - Ulrich Wieneke and Han Stoutjesdijk