Diaphanidae is a family of small
marine 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 ...
mollusks
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The num ...
belonging to the order
Cephalaspidea
The order Cephalaspidea, also known as the headshield slugs and bubble snails, is a major taxon of sea slugs and bubble snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks within the larger clade Euopisthobranchia. Bubble shells is another commo ...
, commonly known as headshield slugs and bubble snails. This family is characterized by its members’ delicate, often translucent
shells and their adaptation to a variety of marine environments.
Taxonomy and classification
The family Diaphanidae falls under the class Gastropoda, subclass
Heterobranchia
Heterobranchia, the heterobranchs (meaning "different gill"), is a taxonomic clade of snails and slugs, which includes marine, aquatic, and terrestrial gastropod molluscs.
Heterobranchia is one of the main clades of gastropods. Currently Het ...
, and order Cephalaspidea. The type genus for this family is
Diaphana, which was first described by T. Brown in 1827.
Morphology
Members of the Diaphanidae family typically possess small, fragile shells that are often globular in shape. These shells are sometimes referred to as “paper bubble” shells due to their thin and delicate nature. The body of these gastropods is usually soft and can retract into the shell for protection.
Habitat and distribution
Diaphanidae species are found in a wide range of marine environments, from shallow
coastal waters
A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
to deeper oceanic regions. They have a nearly
cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...
, meaning they can be found in various parts of the world.
Notable species
Some notable species within the Diaphanidae family include:
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Diaphana abyssalis Schiøtte, 1998
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Diaphana anderssoni (Strebel, 1908)
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Diaphana brazieri (Angas, 1877)
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Diaphana californica (Dall, 1919)
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Diaphana caribaea (Espinosa, Ortea & Fernández-Garcés, 2001)
Ecological role
Diaphanidae gastropods play a significant role in their ecosystems as both prey and grazers. They feed on a variety of small organisms and
detritus
In biology, detritus ( or ) is organic matter made up of the decomposition, decomposing remains of organisms and plants, and also of feces. Detritus usually hosts communities of microorganisms that colonize and decomposition, decompose (Reminera ...
, contributing to the nutrient cycle within their habitats.
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q3142690