Enteroxenos is a genus of very small parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Eulimidae.Bonnevie, 1902. Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180-213 (look up in IMIS). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137966 on 2013-01-18.
Description These small snails have no mouth or gut, and absorb nutrients through their body wall. These odd animals look much more like worms than snails, but the larval form is a veliger, which is characteristic of mollusks.
Species Species within this genus include the following: Enteroxenos bouvieri (Risbec, 1953) Enteroxenos muelleri (Semper, 1868) Enteroxenos oestergreni Bonnevie, 1902 Enteroxenos parastichopoli (Tikasingh, 1961)
Species brought into synonymy Enteroxenos ostergreni (Bonnevie, 1902): synonym of Enteroxenos oestergreni (Bonnevie, 1902)
Reproduction The female is significantly larger than the male and may grow up to in length. The females become hosts to the smaller males, which then fertilise their eggs.
References
External links First page of a 1964 paper in Transactions of American Microscopical Society about a species in this genus The original 1902 paper (in German) describing the species Nomenclator Zoologicus info on the genus To World Register of Marine Species