Aporrhaidae
Aporrhaidae is a family of sea snails commonly called the "pelican's foot snails." The taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005 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 ; Dicrolomatidae Korotkov, 1992
- † Harpagonidae Pchelintsev, 1963
- † Perissopterinae Korotkov, 1992 - synonym: Struthiopterinae Zinsmeister & Griffin, 1995
- † Spinigerinae Korotkov, 1992
Genera
There are only two Recent genera:Aporrhais da Costa, 1778Arrhoges Gabb, 1868- † Dicroloma Gabb, 1868
- † Drepanocheilus Meek, 1864
- † Hemichenopus Steinmann & Wilckens, 1908
- † Struthioptera Finlay & Marwick, 1937