Aporrhaidae is a family of sea snails commonly called the "pelican's foot snails." The taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005[3] categorizes Aporrhaidae as marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha.

Aporrhaidae
A shell of Aporrhais pespelecani, from Catalonia, Spain
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Stromboidea
Family: Aporrhaidae
Gray, 1850[1]
Genera

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Synonyms
  • † Anchurinae Kollmann, 2009 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Aporrhaididae (misspelling)
  • Aporrhaiidae (Spelling variation)
  • Aporrhainae Gray, 1850 · accepted, alternate representation
  • † Arrhoginae Popenoe, 1983
  • Chenopidae Deshayes, 1865
  • † Dicrolomatidae Korotkov, 1992
  • † Dimorphosominae Kollmann, 2009 · accepted, alternate representation
  • † Harpagodinae Pchelintsev, 1963 · accepted, alternate representation
  • † Perissopterinae Korotkov, 1992
  • † Pterocerellinae Bandel, 2007 · accepted, alternate representation
  • † Pugnellidae Kiel & Bandel, 1999[2] (original rank)
  • † Pugnellinae Kiel & Bandel, 1999 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Spinilomatinae Gründel, Nützel & Schulbert, 2009 · accepted, alternate representation
  • † Struthiopterinae Zinsmeister & Griffin, 1995 · accepted, alternate representation
  • † Tundorinae Bandel, 2007

Aporrhaids are commercially important, especially in traditional fisheries.[4]

Description

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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.[5]

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.[6]

Habitat

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Aporrhaidae live on muddy and sandy bottoms, sometimes in very large populations.

Subfamilies

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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.)
 
Aporrhais from the Pliocene of Cyprus.

Genera

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There are only two Recent genera:[7][8]

Fossil genera within the family Aporrhaidae include:

References

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  1. ^ Gray J. E. 1850. Figures of molluscous animals selected from various authors. Etched for the use of students by M. E. Gray. Volume 4. Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, London. iv+219 pp. Apporhaidae at page 66.
  2. ^ Kiel S. & Bandel K. (1999). "The Pugnellidae, a new stromboidean family from the Upper Cretaceous". Paläontologische Zeitschrift 73(1-2): 47-58, 6 Figs., Stuttgart. PDF[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ 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. ISBN 3-925919-72-4. ISSN 0076-2997. 397 pp. http://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/imis2/ref.php?refid=78278
  4. ^ "Shells aporrhaidae". Archived from the original on 2005-03-05. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  5. ^ "Aporrhaidae (Pelicans Foot)". Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  6. ^ "TrekNature | A Pelican's foot for Ahmet Photo".
  7. ^ Gofas, S. (2012). Aporrhaidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=22988 on 2012-09-27
  8. ^ Kronenberg, G.C. 1991: The Recent species of the family Aporrhaidae. Vita marina, 41(2): 73-84.
  9. ^ Gründel, 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
  • Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). ISBN 0-915826-22-4. XII, 195 pp.
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