The Aplustridae is a taxonomic family of sea snails or bubble snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Acteonoidea.
The former name of this family, Hydatinidae (Pilsbry, 1893) has been declared invalid.Bouchet, 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. . 397 pp
Description The soft parts of animals in this family are brightly colored.
The oval bubble-shaped shell is thin and fragile and has a sunken spire. The shell is white or beige-colored with colored bands or stripes.
There is no operculum.
Life habits The soft parts of the animal cannot retract completely into the shell, and therefore these animals depend for their defense on swimming and camouflage. They are specialised feeders, eating cirratulinid polychaete worms.
Genera Genera within the family Aplustridae include: Aplustrum Schumacher, 1817 Bullina A. Férussac, 1822 Espinosina Ortea & Moro, 2017 Hydatina Schumacher, 1817 Micromelo Pilsbry, 1895 Rictaxiella Habe, 1958 † Sulcoactaeon Cossmann, 1895
References
Rudman, W.B. (1972) "The anatomy of the opisthobranch genus Hydatina and the functioning of the mantle cavity and the alimentary canal". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 51(2): 121-139 Vaught, K.C.; Tucker Abbott, R.; Boss, K.J. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne. . XII, 195 pp Guangyu, 1997. Fauna Sinica Phylum Mollusca Class Gastropoda Subclass Opisthobranchia Order Cephalaspidea. 225pp., 28pls. (3col.pls.), 35 figs Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 Bouchet P., Rocroi J.P., Hausdorf B., Kaim A., Kano Y., Nützel A., Parkhaev P., Schrödl M. & Strong E.E. (2017). Revised classification, nomenclator and typification of gastropod and monoplacophoran families. Malacologia. 61(1-2): 1-526