Caecidae is a taxonomic family of minute sea snails or micromolluscs, marine gastropod molluscs in the order Littorinimorpha.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2013). Caecidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126 on 2013-06-04
Habitat These minute tubular shells can be found living in marine sediment, or among algae or sponges, in warm and temperate seas.
Shell description The shells in this family are unusual in that the adult shell is a curving tube. In the subfamily Caecinae the protoconch is lost, and the tube is sealed with a permanent calcareous plug at one end. In the subfamilies Ctiloceratinae and Strebloceratinae the protoconch is retained. At the other end, the tube is sealed by a circular operculum. The spiral part is almost always lost when outgrowing the juvenile stage. The color of the shell is white to pale yellow.
Taxonomy This family contains three subfamilies: Caecinae Gray, 1850 Ctiloceratinae Iredale & Laseron, 1957 Strebloceratinae Bandel, 1996
Genera WoRMS lists the following genera: Caecinae Caecum Fleming, 1813 Mauroceras Vannozzi, 2019 Meioceras Carpenter, 1859 Pizzinia Vannozzi, 2017 Ctiloceratinae Ctiloceras R. B. Watson, 1886 Enigmerces Iredale & Laseron, 1957 Jayella Iredale & Laseron, 1957 Parastrophia de Folin, 1869 Ponderoceras Bandel, 1996 Strebloceratinae Strebloceras Carpenter 1859
Genera brought into synonymy
Brochina Gray, 1857: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Brochus T. Brown, 1827: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Caecalium J. Fleming, 1822: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Carinocera Iredale & Laseron, 1957: synonym of Ctiloceras R. B. Watson, 1886 Coecum: synoym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 (misspelling) Cornuoides T. Brown, 1827: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Elephantanellum Bartsch, 1920: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Elephantellum: misspelling of Elephantanellum, synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Fartulum P. P. Carpenter, 1857: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Gladioceras Iredale & Laseron, 1957 synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869 Micranellum Bartsch 1900: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Mioceras Cossmann, 1912: synonym of Meioceras Carpenter, 1859 Moreletia de Folin, 1869: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869 Odontidium Philippi, 1836: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Pedumicra Iredale & Laseron, 1957: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869 Phleboceras de Folin, 1868: synonym of Strebloceras Carpenter, 1859 Pictocaecum Habe 1978: synonym of Caecum Fleming, 1813 Spirolidium O. G. Costa, 1861: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869 Torresella Iredale & Laseron, 1957/: synonym of Ctiloceras R. B. Watson, 1886 Transcopia Iredale & Laseron, 1957: synonym of Ctiloceras R. B. Watson, 1886 Watsonia de Folin, 1880: synonym of Parastrophia de Folin, 1869
References
Folin L. de (1875) Monographie de la famille des Caecidae. Bulletin de la Société des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Bayonne, 1: 103-131, 1 pl Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (2005). Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia 47(1-2): 1–397 Pizzini M., Raines B. & Vannozzi A. (2013) The family Caecidae in the South-West Pacific (Gastropoda: Rissooidea). Bollettino Malacologico, 49 (suppl. 10): 1-78. WoRMS : Caecidae; accessed : 18 October 2010
Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979