Pterotracheidae is a family of medium-sized to large floating sea snails, pelagic gastropod molluscs. They are in the superfamily Pterotracheoidea along with two other similar pelagic families, the Atlantidae and the Carinariidae.

Pterotracheidae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Pterotracheoidea
Family: Pterotracheidae
Rafinesque, 1814
Genera

See text

Synonyms

Firolinae Rafinesque, 1815

These pelagic snails are not at all closely related to the pelagic heterobranch opistobranchs such as the sea angels and sea butterflies. They are in the clade Littorinimorpha, and as such they are related to such families as the tritons (Ranellidae) and the tun shells (Tonnidae), in the clade Caenogastropoda.

According to taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) the family Pterotracheidae has no subfamilies.

Genera

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Genera within the family Pterotracheidae include:

Genera brought into synonymy
  • Euryops Tesch, 1906: synonym of Pterotrachea Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775
  • Firola Bruguière, 1791: synonym of Pterotrachea Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775
  • Firolella Troschel, 1855: synonym of Firoloida Lesueur, 1817
  • Heterodens Bonnevie, 1920: synonym of Pterotrachea Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775
  • Tholapex di Geronimo, 1974: synonym of Firoloida Lesueur, 1817

References

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  • Vaught, K.C.; Tucker Abbott, R.; Boss, K.J. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne. ISBN 0-915826-22-4. XII, 195 pp.
  • Bouchet, P., Rocroi, J.-P. (2005). Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia. 47(1-2): 1-397 ISBN 3-925919-72-4.
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