Vasidae
Subfamily of gastropods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vasidae, common name the vase snails or vase shells, are a taxonomic family of large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the superfamily Turbinelloidea.[1]
| Vasidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| A live but retracted individual of Vasum rhinoceras in a tide pool in Mombasa, Kenya, Africa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Turbinelloidea |
| Family: | Vasidae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 (1840) |
| Type genus | |
| Vasum Röding, 1798 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Before 2024 it was considered as a subfamily of the Turbinellidae.[2]
Shell description
The radula on the lingual membrane occur in three series, the central recurved, toothed at the tip, the lateral not versatile; the central tooth is broad, few-toothed; the lateral teeth are narrow, strong, with a single large denticle. The mantle is enclosed, with a straight siphon.
The operculum is ovate, acute, with the nucleus apical.
The shell is more or less turbinate, with plaits on the middle of the columella.
Shells of species in this subfamily are fairly large, very thick, and heavy. The shells have low spires and have plaits on the columella.[3]
Genera
Genera of the family Vasidae include:
- Afrivasum Y. Zheng, S. J. Maxwell & Dekkers, 2026
- Altivasum Hedley, 1914
- Aristovasum Vermeij, 2024
- Australivasum Y. Zheng, S. J. Maxwell & Dekkers, 2026
- Florivasum Vermeij, 2024
- Globivasum Abbott, 1950
- † Hystrivasum Olsson & Petit, 1964
- † Lupira Stephenson, 1941
- Rhinovasum Vermeij, 2024
- Siphovasum Rehder & Abbott, 1950
- Tudivasum Rosenberg & Petit, 1987
- Vasum Röding, 1798
- Volutella G. Perry, 1810
Else may include Enigmavasum Poppe & Tagaro, 2005, in later schemes as (Superfamily) Neogastropoda incertae sedis
Else for † Fyfea Finlay & Marwick, 1937, see Turbinellidae
- Synonyms
- Cynodonta Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Vasum Röding, 1798
- Globivasum Abbott, 1950: synonym of Vasum Röding, 1798
- Scolymus Swainson, 1835: synonym of Vasum Röding, 1798
- Tudicula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1864: synonym of Tudivasum Rosenberg & Petit, 1987 (junior homonym of Tudicula Ryckholt, 1862)
(See also Volutella Perry, 1810: elsewhere a synonym of Vasum Röding, 1798)