Cliopsidae
Family of gastropods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cliopsidae, common name sea angels, are a taxonomic family of small, free-swimming sea slugs, pelagic marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the order Opisthobranchia.
| Cliopsidae | |
|---|---|
| Cliopsis krohnii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Clade: | Euopisthobranchia |
| Order: | Pteropoda |
| Superfamily: | Clionoidea |
| Family: | Cliopsidae (Costa, 1873) |
As is the case in all gymnosome pteropods, these sea angels lack a shell except during an early embryonic stage.
The small lateral wing-like flaps (parapodia) are used in a slow swimming mode. The foot is reduced to three small median lobes.
Genera and species
There are two monotypic genera recognised in the family Cliopsidae:
Genus Cliopsis Troschel, 1854
- Cliopsis krohnii Troschel, 1854 [1]
Genus Pruvotella Pruvot-Fol, 1932
- Pruvotella danae Pruvot-Fol, 1942
- Distribution : Bermuda, Oceanic
- Length : 10 mm