The Calyptraeidae are a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of small to medium-sized
marine prosobranch
Prosobranchia was a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic Class (biology), subclass of sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. This taxon of gastropods dates back to the 1920s. It has however been proven to be polyphyly, polyphyletic (consis ...
gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...
s.
[MolluscaBase. Calyptraeidae Lamarck, 1809. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=141 on 2019-11-04]
This family includes the slipper snails (''
Crepidula
''Crepidula'', commonly known as the slipper snails, slipper limpets, or slipper shells, is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family Calyptraeidae. This family includes the slipper snails (''Crepidula''), hat ...
'' species), the
Chinese hat snails, (''
Calyptraea'' species), and the cup-and-saucer snails (''
Crucibulum'' species) among others.
The Calyptraeidae are the only family in the
superfamily
SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...
Calyptraeoidea. This family has no subfamilies according to the
taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005.
''
Crepidula fornicata'' was transported to Europe on imported American oysters in the late 19th century and is now considered a significant pest in European oyster beds.
Description
Internally, the
shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
is distinguished by a shelf-like, cup-like, or half-cup-like structure used for muscle attachment. Some calyptraeids have shells that externally resemble those of
limpet
Limpets are a group of aquatic snails with a conical gastropod shell, shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot. This general category of conical shell is known as "patelliform" (dish-shaped). Existing within the class Gastropoda, ...
s, so species in the genus ''Crepidula'' are often called slipper limpets. However, these snails are not closely related to true limpets and are more closely related to
conch
Conch ( , , ) is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high Spire (mollusc), spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point on both ...
es and
cowrie
Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails in the family Cypraeidae.
Cowrie shells have held cultural, economic, and ornamental significance in various cultures. The cowrie was the shell most widely used wo ...
s. The "slipper" in the name "slipper limpet" is based on the appearance of the inside of the shell, which with its half-shelf resembles a traditional western bedroom
slipper
Slippers are a type of shoes falling under the broader category of light footwear, that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.
...
.
Reproduction
Calyptraeids may form a tower of up to 25 animals, sometimes referred to as a mating chain. The bottom snail is always female. When she dies, the male above her will change from male to female, and the chain continues.
Genera

Genera within the family Calyptraeidae include:
[ Powell A. W. B. (1979) ''New Zealand Mollusca''. William Collins Publishers Ltd, ]Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, .
* ''
Bicatillus''
Swainson, 1840
* ''
Bostrycapulus''
Olsson & Harbison, 1953
* ''
Calyptraea''
Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolo ...
, 1799
* ''
Crepidula
''Crepidula'', commonly known as the slipper snails, slipper limpets, or slipper shells, is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family Calyptraeidae. This family includes the slipper snails (''Crepidula''), hat ...
''
Lamarck, 1799
* ''
Crepipatella''
Lesson
A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...
, 1831
* ''
Crucibulum''
Schumacher, 1817
* ''
Desmaulus''
Rehder, 1943
* ''
Ergaea''
H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854
* ''
Grandicrepidula''
McLean, 1995
* ''
Maoricrypta''
Finlay
Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh.
Given name Finlay
*Finlay Calder, Scottish rugby player
* Finlay Christie (comedian), British comedian
* Finlay Christie, Scottis ...
, 1926
* ''
Sigapatella''
Lesson, 1930
* † ''
Taimyroconus''
Guzhov, 2015
* ''
Trochita''
Schumacher, 1817
;Genera brought into synonymy :
* ''Cheila''
Modeer, 1793: synonym of ''
Cheilea
''Cheilea'' is a genus of small limpet-like sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Hipponicidae, the hoof snails.
Species
Species within the genus ''Cheilea'' include:
* '' Cheilea africana'' Rolán & Fernández-Garcés, 2014
* '' ...
''
Modeer, 1793 – this is actually in the Hipponicidae, not the Calyptraeidae
* ''
Clypeola''
Gray, 1868: synonym of ''
Sigapatella''
Lesson, 1831
* ''Crypta''
Gray, 1847: synonym of ''
Crepidula
''Crepidula'', commonly known as the slipper snails, slipper limpets, or slipper shells, is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family Calyptraeidae. This family includes the slipper snails (''Crepidula''), hat ...
''
Lamarck, 1799
* ''Dispotaea''
Say, 1824: synonym of ''
Crucibulum''
Schumacher, 1817
* ''Galerus''
Gray, 1847 : synonym of ''
Calyptraea''
Lamarck, 1799
* ''Garnotia''
Gray, 1857: synonym of ''
Crepidula
''Crepidula'', commonly known as the slipper snails, slipper limpets, or slipper shells, is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family Calyptraeidae. This family includes the slipper snails (''Crepidula''), hat ...
''
Lamarck, 1799
* ''Ianacus''
Mörch, 1852: synonym of ''
Crepidula
''Crepidula'', commonly known as the slipper snails, slipper limpets, or slipper shells, is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family Calyptraeidae. This family includes the slipper snails (''Crepidula''), hat ...
''
Lamarck, 1799
* ''
Siphopatella''
Lesson, 1831: synonym of ''Syphopatella''
Lesson, 1831; synonym of''Crepidula''
Lamarck, 1799 (unjustified emendation of ''Syphopatella'')
* ''Spirogalerus''
Finlay & Marwick, 1937 †: synonym of ''
Sigapatella''
Lesson, 1831
* ''Syphopatella''
Lesson, 1831: synonym of ''
Crepidula
''Crepidula'', commonly known as the slipper snails, slipper limpets, or slipper shells, is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family Calyptraeidae. This family includes the slipper snails (''Crepidula''), hat ...
''
Lamarck, 1799
* ''Trochatella''
Lesson, 1831: synonym of ''
Trochita''
Schumacher, 1817
* ''Trochilla''
Swainson, 1835: synonym of ''
Trochita''
Schumacher, 1817
* ''Verticumbo''
Berry, 1940 †: synonym of ''
Crepipatella''
Lesson, 1831
* ''Zeacrypta''
Finlay, 1926: synonym of ''
Maoricrypta''
Finlay, 1926
* ''Zegalerus''
Finlay, 1927: synonym of ''
Sigapatella''
Lesson, 1831
References
External links
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642
Marshall B.A. 2003. A review of the Recent and Late Cenozoic Calyptraeidae of New Zealand (Mollusca: Gastropoda). The Veliger 46(2): 117-144Collin R. 2005. Development, phylogeny, and taxonomy of Bostrycapulus (Caenogastropoda: Calyptraeidae), an ancient cryptic radiation. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 144(1): 75-101
Hoagland, K.E. 1977. Systematic review of fossil and recent Crepidula and discussion of the evolution of the Calyptraeidae. Malacologia, 16(2): 353-420
{{Authority control
Gastropod families
Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck